


What the Heart Wants

by morganskye



Series: The Ties That Bind [2]
Category: Ghostbusters (Comics)
Genre: But happy for who?, F/M, Happy Ending, Lost Love, Second Chances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-07-01 03:57:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 31,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morganskye/pseuds/morganskye
Summary: Three years have passed since Walter Peck left NYC to form Ghostbusters West. His life has been good, even rather quiet, until a frantic call from Janine has him back in the Big Apple to find out exactly what happened to the Ghostbusters and why she thinks they're dead.Updated 11/21/18 to include family portrait (end of ch11)





	1. The Call

**Author's Note:**

> After talking to MusicalCC about how Another Day ended, I realized I wasn't done with Walter just yet. Fair warning, I'm not entirely sure how this one will end. I'm a firm Janine/Egon gal, but it's hard when faced with a man like Walter Peck.
> 
> Update (8/24/18): I've made a slight tweak to the dates and given the story a hard timeline.

       January, 1988

       

       Sunlight warmed the fourth floor office of Ghostbusters West. It was another beautiful San Diego day, despite the fact it was technically winter. Outside birds were singing, tourists were gleefully spending money, and everything was as commercial perfect as it could be. Inside was just as nice. It was less of an office and more like a home. There were flowers on the desk, soft pictures of landscapes on the wall, and lace curtains that let in the wonderful light. Walter tried not to stare out the window while he thought about how much his life had changed in the past few years. The man he was three years ago seemed like an entirely different person. Life in California had made him quieter, more thoughtful...or at least that’s what Gloria claimed. He was sure his employees didn’t agree, but they didn’t know him in New York.

       “Penny for your thoughts?” Gloria asked from her desk across the room. They shared an office, not just to save on space, but because it was easier to handle situations without needing the phone or yelling. Since she was a partner now it would be insulting to keep her out front, even if he had to relent on her office design choices, regardless of how much he liked them.

       “I was thinking about how they say California changes a person.”

       “They’re right.”

       “I guess. It makes me wonder if I’d immediately be the old me if I ever went back to New York.”

       “You mean if you’d be Peck the Prick again?”

       She chuckled as he glared at her.

       “No, I don’t think you would. Honestly it wasn’t the city that made you the way you were…” She didn’t have to finish her sentence since they both knew what she was talking about. “By the way the insurance estimate has come in. It’s under…”

       She stopped to answer the phone, an old habit from her assistant days.

       “Ghostbusters West, how may I...Janine! How are you..." She shot Walter an anxious look. "Janine, slow down! Yes he’s right here…”

       Walter was grabbing for the phone before Gloria had finished speaking.

       “Janine? What’s wrong?”

       “They’re gone Walter! All of them!”

       “What!?”

       “Peter, Winston, Ray…” He heard her take a big shaky breath. “Egon. They’re...gone. There was an accident. I need you here. Please? I can’t...I can’t...”

       She wasn’t crying, but he felt that made it worse. There was more than just worry in her voice. She was on the verge of a complete meltdown. He motioned to Gloria, who picked up the second line. Even though he was concentrating on Janine, he could hear her making plane reservations to New York for him.

       “Janine I need you to tell me exactly what you mean by ‘gone’, ok?”

       There was a long pause on the line. For a moment Walter thought they had been cut off.

       “They’re dead Walter. They’re all dead and I’m the only one left.”


	2. Back in the Big Apple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Walter gets back to NYC he jumps into action, but Janine isn't ready to accept that the guys might really be gone. Peck's good intentions backfire on him, but it's nothing compared to the news Janine gets from the Ghostbusters' lawyer.

       Walter could smell the snow before he even got off the plane. He was glad he caught the last flight back to the East Coast. Since the plane was landing at night he didn’t have to see the grimy streets or polluted air until the next day. For now he could hold onto the sparkle of the neon lights and thin film of excitement the night had. No matter what the city was going through, there was always a thrill of being in New York at night. 

       His rental car was waiting for him. A bleary-eyed attendant handed him his keys and paperwork, eager to be done for the night. Walter only vaguely realized that it was 2 am since his body was still on Pacific time. A quick signature had him on his way. When he slid into traffic heading downtown he realized that he didn’t know where Janine was. She could be at the Firehouse, but there was always the possibility that she was at her own apartment...or perhaps she and Egon had finally moved in together. He grimaced, refusing to think about that. Deciding the Firehouse was the best bet he headed for Tribeca, quickly making time thanks to the lack of traffic. 

       He parked in the back next to Janine’s beat up little bug. It was comforting to see and gave him hope that she was there. The Firehouse itself was dark but that was to be expected when 3 am was right around the corner. Walter let himself in via the side door, grateful that he never gave back his key. Inside was like a church between services. It was dark, eerie, and far too quiet. He clicked on the overhead lights, shielding his eyes from the sudden flip from pitch black to blinding. The Ecto-1 wasn’t there and the lockers the guys used were open and mostly empty, revealing that they had indeed been on a bust when things went wrong. Walter was about to head upstairs when he heard a rustling from Peter’s office. 

       “Janine?” he called out softly. No one answered, so he poked his head around the filing cabinets. There he found Janine, asleep with her head pillowed on her arms. Surrounding her were dozens of books, some older than time, open to various pages. Walter glanced at one. It was about teleportation and its forms. He didn’t know enough about the paranormal to know if she was grasping at straws or following a legitimate lead, but it didn’t matter. 

       “Janine?” he said again, gently shaking her shoulder. She mumbled, shifting, but didn’t wake up. He shook her again and this time she opened her eyes. It took her a moment to figure out where she was and who was beside her. Walter’s heart ached when he saw her bloodshot eyes and nearly gray skin. She was working herself to death trying to find her friends. 

       “Walter? Oh...oh Walter!” Janine jumped up and nearly flung herself at him. He stumbled slightly, but didn’t let go. He could feel her shaking in his arms and held her tighter, rocking gently. Eventually she seemed to get control of herself and let go. She sat heavily in the chair, head in her hands. 

       “I can barely even think about what’s going on. The police have stopped looking. I was there when they pulled Ecto out of the river. It looked like a truck hit it. The front end was so crushed that the steering wheel went through the front seat...there was nothing...inside...no one…”

       Janine began to breathe hard, her hands clenching and unclenching. Walter couldn’t help himself and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her upstairs as she whimpered and gasped. However once he got upstairs he didn’t know what to do. She didn’t have a bed there (or at least he didn’t think she did), and all the lights were off so he couldn’t see where he was going. Mentally crossing his fingers he cautiously walked over to where he remembered seeing a sofa before. When his shins hit the corner of it he turned and sat, still holding Janine. With her settled in his lap he stroked her hair, trying to help her calm down and relax.

       “It will be ok Janine. This isn’t the first time the guys have disappeared. Before you know it they’ll be walking through the door like nothing happened.”

       She hiccuped, trying to get herself under control. 

       “This isn’t like the other times,” she said, pulling away so she could look at him. “The Ecto...the guys…”

       Walter knew she was about to break down again. He needed answers so he did his best to soothe her.

       “Shhh, I know this is difficult. Tell me about it, please?”

       She nodded, sniffing.

       “Three days ago the guys were on a bust. They were crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, chasing a nasty one. Looking back I’m pretty sure it was a class 7. The police said that several eyewitnesses saw the ghost hit Ecto with a bright ball of light. The car swerved and…”

       Janine trailed off. Walter quickly took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

       “And then what?”

       “It went crashed right through the barrier and hit the water.”

       She was breathing heavily again, almost panting. Another panic attack was coming. He stroked her face and hair to bring her back down. 

       “Stay with me Janine. I need to know what happened.”

       “The police…” She stopped and took a deep breath. “The police starting search for them. They even got divers in the water. They found Ecto but...but there wasn’t anyone inside...they said the current was so strong it pulled almost everything out. The seat belts had been slashed so the bodies...the bodies weren’t…”

       “They weren’t strapped in.”

       She nodded. Walter wished she would cry or scream or break something. It would be easier to handle than watching her pull herself together just to shatter again. 

       “I got them each an emergency evacuation hammer for Hanukkah last year. I thought it would help.”

       “It did help. Think of it this way, it means they were alive after the car hit the water.”

       Janine went statue still. Slowly her head turned to him, eyes wide.

       “You’re right,” she whispered. “They wouldn’t have time to do it before they hit. And one of the back windows was smashed.”

       “See? There’s a chance. Don’t give up,” he said, trying to keep her spirits up even though he was positive the Ghostbusters couldn’t have survived the crash.

       Janine nodded slowly, a bit of the panic and despair leaving her eyes.  

       “Thank you Walter.” She leaned forward and gave him a soft hug. “Thank you so much.”

       “Anytime. Just, call me sooner next time, ok?”

       He felt her chuckle and knew things would be alright, at least for now. 

 

       The next morning Janine woke up feeling more tired than ever. She tried to blame the sofa she was sleeping on and stretched to work the kinks out. She knew she could sleep in one of the guys’ bunks, but it didn’t feel right, not even Egon’s. 

_        “Positive thoughts Melnitz.” _

       Janine showered, dressed, and headed downstairs hoping that Walter had made some coffee. As soon as she hit the stairs she heard a murmur of voices. Walter was sitting at her desk on a phone call while two men and a woman were standing around chatting. One man and the woman were wearing suits, while the second man was in a police uniform. 

       “Yes. Today if possible. That’s right, the firehouse in Tribeca. Thank you.”

       “Who was that?” Janine asked as he hung up. 

       “That was the police vehicle lot. They’re bringing Ecto-1 to us, hopefully today. Janine, I’d like you to meet Cynthia Lee from the mayor’s office, Richard Coburn from Cooper, Bennett, and Bear, and Detective Riker from the precinct that’s handling the search for the guys.”

       Janine nodded to them, suddenly becoming anxious. 

       “Walter what’s going on?”

       “Well we need to do some damage control and take legal steps so that the Ghostbusters will keep functioning in the midterm until we can put a solid plan into action…”

       “The PLAN is that we find the guys and put things back the way they were!” 

       Her eyes were ablaze with anger. Mr. Coburn stepped back and put his briefcase in front of him as if it could protect him from her. Miss Lee and the detective traded looks that screamed ‘uh oh’. 

       “That’s exactly what we’re going to do, but in the meantime we have to make sure the Ghostbusters are still functioning. I have two people coming in from Chicago as well as two of my own from San Diego. Mr. Coburn has some papers for you to sign…”

       “You sweet talking son of a BITCH!!”

       She charged forward, finger in his face as she ranted.

       “This was your plan all along wasn’t it?! You got me on your side so that I’d call you if something happened. Well now it has and you see your chance to shut us down!”

       Walter was so alarmed by her sudden shift in mood that he was speechless for a moment. He needed to get away from Janine’s sharp nails before she decided to use them.

       “That’s the exact opposite of what I’m trying to do…”

       “Don’t you play with me! Why are you bringing in your own people? Why do I have to sign any paperwork? You won’t get me to John Hancock myself out of a job!”

       “Janine, please! You’re taking everything the wrong way.”

       “Bullshit! If I let you have your way this will be Walter Peck’s Ghostbusters in a day! I can’t believe you!! You’re such a slimy piece of shit! I never should have trusted you!!”

       Walter’s hands turned into fists as he tried to control himself. He knew that Janine didn’t mean what she was saying. She was stressed and had been teetering on the edge for days.

       “If you would just listen…”

       “Oh I’m fucking DONE listening to you!”

       Janine started pushing him, trying to get him out the door. 

       “Get out! GET OUT!! I’ll find them myself! I’ll do it all myself! No one is taking the Ghostbusters from me!”

       “Um, Miss Melnitz?” interrupted the scared man from CBB. “No one is trying to take them away. You control the Ghostbusters now…”

       Janine froze, her hands still on Walter’s chest.

       “What?”

     “Per the documents the Drs. drew up about two years ago, if they should disappear for more than 72 hours without a reasonably known location then all authority is temporarily to go to you. If they remain missing for one year, then the business is permanently put in your name, however they retain the option to reclaim the business should at least one of them return at any time. You’re also listed as the executor for their estates. In fact you’re the sole beneficiary for Dr. Spengler. I’m assuming from the look on your face they didn’t tell you. That’s more common than you think. In fact…”

     The lawyer was cut short by Miss Lee giving his shoulder a light smack. 

     “I think it would be best if we come back later. Tomorrow perhaps?” she asked, not that it mattered since she was already striding to the door, the detective following. The lawyer pulled a stack of documents of out his briefcase and laid them on Janine’s desk. 

     “Ah yes...um...right. I’ll, uh, just leave the paperwork here…” 

     When the door closed behind him, Walter focused on Janine. She was still completely rooted in place, eyes wide and mouth open. 

     “Janine?” he asked softly. 

     She looked up at him, completely in shock.

     “Why would they do that?” she asked so softly Walter wouldn’t have known she was speaking if he hadn’t been looking at her. 

     “Because they trust you. And, in their own ways, love you.”

     A big fat tear rolled down her cheek. 

     “I love them too!” she wailed, throwing herself against him. 

     His heart ached as he listened to her cry, holding her as tightly as he could. Her tears were the only ones that ever affected him like this. Any other woman would get the brush off or a snarky comment. Janine made him want to fight monsters then kiss the tears away, but there was nothing to battle and he didn’t have the right to kiss her no matter how much he wanted to. Her heart belonged to a man who was probably dead. 

_      “Not that he’ll stay that way,” _  Walter thought begrudgingly. 

     It wasn’t that he hated Egon. Point of fact, he respected the man immensely, even more since the fight. Walter actually thought highly of the Ghostbusters, even their jackass of a mouthpiece Venkman. It took a lot of bravery and skill to do what they did. And now they were gone…

     His thoughts snapped back to the present when he felt Janine going limp in his arms. 

     “Janine!”

     “I’m ok,” she hiccuped. She wasn’t crying anymore, but her face was dangerously pale. 

     “No you’re not. I’m taking you to the hospital.”

     “I’m fine.” 

     Her protest was as weak as her body. She tried to stand but her knees buckled. Walter just barely caught her. With a quick sweep of his arms he gathered her up and was about to walk out the door when she shook her head. 

     “We have...a doctor on retainer now,” she mumbled, barely holding on to consciousness. “Number...by phone…”

     Walter swung around and practically ran to her desk. The number was right where she said it was, tapped to the desk. He read it, then repeated the numbers out loud as he carried her upstairs to get her somewhere comfortable. As soon as she was on the sofa he called the number, pleading in his head for someone to answer. 

     “Hello?”

     “Yes this is Walter Peck. I’m with the Ghostbusters…”

     “Number injured, condition, and is there anything paranormal lodged in their body?” asked a bored voice. 

     “It’s Janine. She’s passed out.”

     “Is that all?”

     Walter saw red. He clenched the receiver so hard it should have cracked. 

     “I don’t give a shit if she just has a splinter. You get your prepaid ass over here before dig a Class 6 out of the containment unit and make your home the next Amityville!!”

     The doctor snorted, assured Walter he would be there in 20 minutes, and hung up.

     “Sanctimonious pickle dick.”

     He kneeled beside the sofa and took Janine’s hand. Her skin was cold and still terribly pale. Walter reached out and gently pushed her hair back from her forehead. 

     “I wish I knew what to do,” he whispered. 

 

     Fifteen minutes later the gray-haired pickle dick doctor (aka Mark Fennis) finally walked through the door. Since he was early Walter was marginally less angry at the man. The doctor earned more brownie points by getting right to work. 

     “Tell me what happened,” he asked as he took Janine’s shoes off and elevated her feet.

     “Well here’s what I know…”

     As Walter told Dr. Fennis what he knew for sure he watched the man take her pulse, temperature, and listen to her heart.  

     “Extreme stress. Hmm. Has she been eating and sleeping?”

     “Uh…’

     “So that’s a no.”

     Dr. Fennis gently pried Janine’s eyelid open to check her pupil dilation. 

     “Will she be ok?”

     “Oh yeah she’ll be fine. She’s dehydrated and exhausted. When she wakes up make sure she eats and drinks lots of water. I’m going to give her a vitamin shot, but you need to make sure she takes care of herself.”

     “When will she wake up?”

     “Eh, when she needs to. She probably passed out because she hadn’t been sleeping. You should move her to one of the beds in the other room. She’ll be more comfortable there.”

     “What should I feed her? What if she won’t eat?”

     Dr. Fennis laughed. 

     “I know she’s a tough one, but she’ll eat, drink, and be bitchy in no time. Although…” He dug through his bag and pulled out a small white bottle that he handed to Walter. “Here’s a few Valium. If it looks like she’s about to freak out again or if she can’t sleep have her take one.”

     “Thank you Dr. Fennis, and I apologize for earlier.”

     The doctor chuckled and packed up his gear. 

     “Don’t worry about it. I’ve heard worse from this little lady when her boys get hurt. It’s a shame about them. I hope they turn up soon.”

     “Me too. Thanks again.”

     “No problem Mr. Peck. Call if you need me.”

 

     After the doctor left Walter gently lifted Janine to move her. Now that he was calm he realized just how light she was. Carrying her was effortless. Fortunately the door to the bunk room was open since his hands were full of sleeping secretary. It only took him a moment to figure out which one was Egon’s. The piles of physics books and twinkie wrappers were a dead giveaway. Carefully Walter laid her on the bed, then shifted her slightly so he could get her under the covers. When she sighed and turned her head he felt that it would be safe to go food shopping. Before leaving he pulled the blinds so Janine would hopefully sleep more. 

     “I’ll be back shortly,” he said softly to her, not that he thought she heard him, but it made him feel better about leaving her alone. Shutting the door quietly, he headed out. 

 

     A short time later Janine woke. At first she didn’t know where she was, but slowly her memories came back. She felt an ache in her chest that spread through her body, making her feel heavy and lethargic. Even opening her eyes took so much effort she didn’t want to bother. 

_      “I’m just tired. That’s all. Just tired.” _

     She had almost convinced herself until she rolled over. She could smell Egon’s scent on the pillow and in the blankets. A loneliness added to the painful ache in her body. Janine closed her eyes, wishing for the oblivion of sleep as she silently wept. 


	3. Dinner and a Movie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Much thanks to CaptainMaximumStorm48 for letting me borrow Maddie. I recommend reading their story The Peck Files (https://archiveofourown.org/works/7525279), not just for more info on Maddie but because it's one of the reasons I've been writing this series. Thanks Captain!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter touches on the beginning stages of grief and depression.

       “So it looks like we can’t make it out there for a few days. This snow storm is wicked.”

       Walter leaned against Janine’s desk as he talked on the phone. On the other end was Maddie Rook, the first trainee the Ghostbusters took on since Winston. She was living in Chicago now, and amazingly in a good relationship with former Ghost Smasher and current jerkwad Ron Alexander. 

       “It’s probably a good thing. Janine isn’t handling things well. I think bringing in other Ghostbusters so soon will make it worse,” he said. 

       “Yeah probably.”

       Walter could hear her eating something crunchy. 

       “Do you ever eat anything quietly?”

       “Nah. So why is Janine flipping out? The guys have disappeared at least four times since I signed on.”

       Walter looked over at the mangled wreckage of the Ecto that had been delivered about an hour before. 

       “You’ll understand when you get here.”

       “Welp when the weather clears I’ll let you know. Still want me to leave Ron at home?”

       “Do you honestly need me to answer that?”

       “No not really,” she laughed. “Marcus is looking forward to the trip anyway. I’d hate to break his little nerd heart.”

       “You’re a paragon,” Walter said dryly. 

       “Aren’t I though? See you in a few days.”

       “I look forward to it.”

       After hanging up he pushed himself off the desk and walked over to the twisted metal mass that was at one time an icon. Janine hadn’t been kidding when she talked about how bad the car looked. The impact of hitting the river had pushed the front end in so far that the dashboard was crushed against the front seat. Walter wanted to believe that the Ghostbusters were still alive, but he really didn’t see how that was possible. Yes the seat belts had been cut but that honestly didn’t mean much without a living breathing Buster. 

       Walter sighed and shook his head. While he was glad the Ecto was back home, he knew that as soon as Janine saw it she would panic again. Thankfully he found a giant cloth tarp that covered the entire vehicle. Sure she could still see it was there, but it wouldn’t be taunting her. Walter made a mental note to find a repair shop that would take on the task of rebuilding Ecto. It was as much a part of the image of the corporation as the No Ghost logo. Another important part was currently sleeping upstairs…He checked his watch. Janine had been sleeping for about six hours. He figured she’d be up soon so he headed to the kitchen to fix her a hot meal. 

 

       Janine slowly opened her eyes. She laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling. The room was dark, the bed was warm, and the silence comforting. She wanted to go back to sleep, but she could hear Walter moving around in the kitchen on the floor above her. Janine was tempted to ignore him and go back to sleep, but she knew he would bully her out of bed. It was easier to just pretend she felt better, go through the motions, then go back to sleep as soon as she could. When she was asleep she didn’t think about how her life wasn’t the same without her guys...without Egon…Just seeing him in her head made her heart ache. Maybe she would take a short nap before facing the world again…

 

       The Firehouse smelled delicious, or at least in Walter’s opinion it did. After cleaning the kitchen that had been understandably ignored for a while, he made a dinner that Julia Child would be proud of. Filet mignon in mushroom sauce with pasta and fresh rolls were ready to be consumed. Walter washed his hands, put the meal in the oven to stay warm, and headed downstairs to see if Janine was awake. 

 

       Janine heard Walter knock softly, but didn’t respond. She didn’t want to get up. She didn’t want to move. She didn’t want to keep breathing because breathing meant she was alive and being alive HURT. He knocked again, then entered. Janine closed her eyes and pretended she was sleeping. 

       “Janine?” he called softly. 

       She kept playing possum, hoping he would leave, but a tiny voice in her head said that he wouldn’t. The tiny voice was right. Walter shook her shoulder gently.

       “Janine, I need you to wake up. You need to eat something.”

       “Not hungry,” she mumbled. 

       “I don’t care if you’re hungry or not. You’re eating.” 

       His voice was kind but insistent. She didn’t have the strength to fight him, so she threw the covers off and sat up to scowl at him. Janine knew she should be angry at him, particularly since he had a very smug look on his face, but that also took strength she didn’t have. 

       “I’m going to change then I’ll be down.”

       Walter nodded and left the room. Janine mechanically went to Peter’s dresser and pulled out a set of sweat pants and an old Coney Island shirt. The clothes were comforting, both in feel and familiarity. She had seen him wear them constantly, particularly on a day when he didn’t want to make an effort. Janine told herself that Peter wouldn’t be mad because she’d make sure they were washed and returned before he came home. That tiny voice whispered that she was lying to herself, but this time she could ignore it. 

 

       When she walked into the kitchen she couldn’t help but smile a bit. The table was set, complete with linens and even some candles (although she had no idea where he found them). Between the waning sunlight and the soft flickering glow from the table the room felt calming and friendly. Walter gave her an exaggerated bow. 

       “Bonsoir mademoiselle. Asseyez-vous, s'il vous plaît,” he said as he pulled a chair out.

       “Huh?” 

       “Please have a seat.”

       “Oh! Thank you.”

       Walter expertly tucked her in, complete with putting her napkin on her lap. With a flourish he pulled the prepared plates from the oven and set on down in front of her. Janine’s mouth was watering instantly. The dinner looked amazing and smelled even better. There were also fresh rolls and a crisp garden salad. 

       “No wine?” she joked as Walter sat down. 

       He snapped his fingers and got back up. Opening the fridge he pulled out a champagne-like bottle. 

       “Sparkling grape juice. It’s a 1988 vintage. I hear it was a good year,” he joked as he poured for them both. Janine snorted, enjoying herself. 

       As he settled in again he picked up his glass. 

       “To missing friends and beloved family. May they return to us soon.”

       It was a risk to make a toast like that, but Walter was hopeful she would take it in a positive way. When he saw her really smile for the first time since returning to New York, he relaxed and clinked his glass against hers. 

 

       Janine was grateful Walter was there, and not just because he could cook a damn fine meal. He kept the conversation light, interesting, and Ghostbuster free. She needed the distraction from everything and Walter was doing his best. 

       “So you and Hannah didn’t work out?”

       “No,” he said, shaking his head. “Our schedules were too different. It was nice while it lasted though.”

       “Are you seeing anyone now?”

       He didn’t respond immediately, choosing instead to eat a forkful of pasta. 

       “No. I haven’t really had the time.”

       “You could use a dating service. I hear they have some pretty good success rates.”

       “Using a service doesn’t really appeal to me. I’ve always thought that relationships are best when they happen naturally. That’s why I never go on blind dates either.”

       “So you’re just waiting for Miss Wonderful to cross your path? Good luck,” she said with a snort. Walter simply looked at her as she ate and didn’t say what was on his mind. 

 

       After dinner he was able to convince Janine to watch a movie on TV with him. On his way back from the grocery store he stopped at a new video rental place and picked up something as unromantic as possible. 

       “What’s this called again?” she asked as Walter popped the tape in.

       “Red Sonja. Did you see Conan the Barbarian or Conan the Destroyer?”

       Janine tried not to roll her eyes.

       “Didn’t that last one win an Oscar?”

       “Ha ha. Anyway, I think you’ll like this. It’s about a fierce red head who kicks butt and saves the world.”

       “Sounds familiar…” she grinned. 

       When the movie started they were on opposite ends of the sofa. By the time Sonja was storming Castle Berkubane they were side by side sharing a bowl of popcorn. 

       “I hope that creepy Ikol guy gets killed. He freaks me out.”

       “Just watch. Did you know he played one of the Nazi’s in Raiders of the Lost Ark?”

       “Really? Which one?”

       “The guy who has his head melt away.”

       “Yuck!”

       “It’s a great effect. Oh, this is a terrific scene! Sonja is going up against Queen Gedren’s wizard.”

       “How many times have you seen this?”

       “Including this one? Eight. I own it at home.”

       “I never pegged you for a film guy.”

       “Only certain types...did you see that?!”

       “Ugh, yes and I wish I hadn’t. So what types?”

       “Fantasy and sci-fi mostly, but I really like action movies too. Anything that gets as far away from real life as possible.”

       “You help run a company that catches ghosts,” Janine said dryly.

       “Eh, details. Ok, now keep your eye on Gedren…”

 

       It was nearly 10 pm when Walter decided it was time for both of them to go to bed. He gallantly walked Janine to the door of the bunk room. 

       “Are you sure you don’t need anything?”

       “I’m sure. Thank you...for everything. I know I haven’t been easy to deal with…”

       Walter stepped closer to her, putting his hands on her shoulders. 

       “If you were easy to deal with I’d be more worried.”

       Janine leaned in and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing herself as close to him as possible. 

       “It’s going to get worse before it gets better, isn’t it?” 

       “Only if you let it,” he said. He closed his eyes and put his cheek against the top of her head. She smelled lovely. Her proximity both during the movie and now was having a very male affect on him. Walter wisely let go and put some distance between them. 

       “I’ll be on the sofa if you need me.”

       “You can sleep in a bunk. I’m sure…”

       “No. You need your privacy. I’ll see you in the morning.”

 

       Janine closed the door, leaving her in darkness for just a moment. Before clicking on the light she closed her eyes and wished as hard as she could that there would be four men sleeping in the beds when she opened her eyes. The harsh light told her that wishes were foolish. Janine slowly walked around the room, touching things randomly like Peter’s bed and the books always stacked up on Winston’s nightstand. When she got to Ray’s bed she scooped up his stuffed Dopey Dog. She rubbed her cheek against it, letting herself cry. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes for Chapter 3:  
> Depression is a difficult thing to deal with. While I haven't suffered a loss like this, I have been fighting my depression for a long long time. Thankfully I have my writing (and my lovely readers!) to help me get through it, however not everyone has an outlet. If you ever need someone to talk to, about Ghostbusters or anything at all, I always have a free ear. No one is every truly alone.


	4. The Lady Likes to Yell

February 1988

 

       When two of the members of the Chicago branch showed up to help handle calls, Janine was less than pleased. However since one of them was former co-worker Maddie she took things in stride. Maddie and Janine had always gotten along, and not just because at the time they were the only two women to have worn a proton pack. They both had a similar blunt style that should have made them enemies, but instead made them good friends. Unfortunately when the San Diego help arrived two weeks later, Janine flipped her lid. 

       “We don’t need any more people here!!”

       “Yes we do! The calls are still on a one week delay, the city is getting antsy about the lack of presence the Ghostbusters have, and we need the cash flow.”

       “The only reason we need money is because you’ve put them up in a hotel,” Janine huffed. 

       They were sitting in the living room on the second floor. Walter was dressed for work in a three piece suit while Janine was in yet another set of Peter’s lazy clothes. Walter couldn’t remember the last time she had gone downstairs. He knew she hadn’t left the Firehouse since he arrived a month ago. 

       “They have to. You won’t let them bunk here,” he replied, rubbing his forehead to try and keep the headache away. 

       This fight was becoming old territory. In fact a day didn’t go by that they didn’t argue about something, no matter how small. It was as if Janine enjoyed yelling, and since it was the only emotion he could get out of her with any regularity he guiltily let her do verbal battle with him. She stopped working when Walter brought in a temp to help tackle the legal mess from the title transfer, outright refusing to answer the phones or even file paperwork. It seemed like all she did lately was sleep, wander around like a spirit, and yell. 

       “They can’t sleep here because there’s nowhere to sleep!”

       “The bunk room…”

       “NO. It belongs to the guys.”

       Walter sighed and stood up to pace.

       “You won’t let them stay here, you complain that the hotel is too expensive. What do you expect me to do then??!”

       “Buy the building next door.”

       He stopped and stared at her, puzzled.

       “What?”

       “The apartment building next door. Well technically it’s the building behind us, but it’s still on our block. The owner has been trying to sell ever since  **someone** decided to switch off our power grid during the Gozer incident.”

       Walter winced. 

       “You’re never going to let me live that down are you?”

       “Nope.”

       He sat back down on the sofa. 

       “So the building is available?”

       “Yup. I did the research a while back. It’s doable. There’s about 30 single bedroom units, 20 doubles, and 6 triples, plus a maintenance one in the basement. There’s locked storage down there too. No parking though,” she said. “It also has three stores on the bottom floor, all of which are rented out at the moment. 

       “How much is he asking?”

       “500 grand. Last I looked about three-fourths of the units are rented at any given time. Average rental income per month is about $25 thousand if you include the stores. Even if we took some out of circulation for our people it would still net us enough to cover the expense of having the building.”

       “Why so cheap?”

       “Aside from the fact the guy is worried the next time the containment unit goes his place will go with it? Eh, I think he’s getting too old to want to stay in the area. It’s still pretty rough around here.”

       “It’s not as bad as the Bronx.”

       “True, but it’s no walk through the park. You know, if we did this, we could offer a unit as an employment perk, or rent to them on a discount.”

       The more she talked the more it sounded like a good idea. His own finances were getting shot to hell even though he was staying in a cheap motel. Plus if they had housing right next door everyone could be in their own place but still be easily called in. He also beyond happy that she was talking about the business in a way that was clearly moving forward instead of holding on to the past.

       “That’s a good idea. Do you still have your notes?”

       “Yeah, they’re at my desk. I’ll get them.”

       Janine got up and walked to the steps. She was about to go down when she froze in place. Her left hand was holding the railing so tightly her knuckles went white. 

       “Janine?” Walter asked when he realized she wasn’t moving. 

       “...I can’t go downstairs.”

       Walter was up in a flash. 

       “What’s wrong?”

       “I can’t…” 

       Her voice was tiny and panicked. Walter stood in front of her on the first step down, which had the benefit of putting him at eye level with Janine. It was easy to see how terrified she was. 

       “Look at me. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

       He took her free hand, then pried her other hand off the railing, and while holding both hands steered her away from the steps. As soon as she was a few feet from the stairs her knees wobbled. She clung to him for support as he helped her back to the sofa. 

       “Breathe Janine. You’re going to be ok.”

       “Why am I so scared? It’s just downstairs.”

       “You’ve been through something traumatic, and you’re reminded of it on a daily basis. Janine, I really think you need to see someone,” he said as he helped her sit down. She was shaking and cold. He sat beside her and tried to warm her hands with his. 

       “I’m fine. I’m just tired.”

       “This is so far beyond tired it isn’t funny. I have a friend who specializes in PTSD and grief counseling. He’s willing to come here until you’re ready to go outside.”

       She jerked her hands away from him.

       “I’m fine! I’m just tired! That’s all Walter. Don’t make a case out of this.”

       Walter rubbed his temples and tried to keep his anger in check.

       “You sleep more than a cat. You haven’t left the Firehouse in weeks. Hell you haven’t done the job you’re getting paid for since the temp came in!”

       “Hey pal this is MY business now. If you don’t like it you can shove off! I don’t need your help! I’ve been running this place since the moment I walked through the door, and I’ll keep doing it.”

       “You know, I think I should go. Clearly everything I’ve done doesn’t mean shit to you.”

       “All you did? You mean bring in a replacement team? Wait, maybe you’re referring to how you order everyone around like you run this place? Or are you talking about how you won't give anyone time to look for my guys??”

       “Well someone has to fucking do it because you aren’t! You refuse to deal with the present!”

       “I don’t have to because they’re coming back!!”

       “THEY AREN’T COMING BACK JANINE. THEY’RE DEAD.”

       He regretted it as soon as he said it, but there was no taking it back. She was in denial, which frustrated Walter to no end. There was optimism and then there was delusion. Janine was lying to herself. Everyone was moving forward but her. 

       “They aren’t dead,” she said coldly. “They’re coming back. Egon is coming back. You need to leave.”

       With her head held high she walked to the bunk room, slamming the door behind her. Walter knew she wouldn’t come out again till after he was gone. He rubbed his forehead again and went in search of aspirin.

_        “Maybe she’s right. Maybe I should leave…” _

 

       In the days that followed Walter spent as little time as possible at the Firehouse. It was easy since City Hall was happy to  have him back with PCOC. Before he knew it, it had been nearly two weeks since he had last been back there. In all that time he never heard from Janine, however Teresa, the temp he had hired, kept him up to date. Calls were being answered in a timely manner (still three days longer than Walter would have liked), paperwork was getting done, and things were running fairly well. Teresa however told him something troubling. She would go days without seeing Janine. If it wasn’t for food disappearing from the fridge and notes asking her to do laundry (something Teresa repeatedly reminded him wasn’t in her job description), she wouldn’t even know the red-head was there. 

       “When did you last see her?”

       “Physically? Last Friday when she signed the paychecks.”

       Walter sighed, his stomach twisting. 

       “Did it not occur to you to look for her? It is Wednesday after all.”

       “That’s not…”

       “Not your job, yes I get it,” he interrupted. “Fine. I’ll be over.”

       Walter pressed the switch hook on the phone to end the call, then made another call.

       “Bruce? Hey it’s Walter. Remember that woman I told you about? Janine? Yeah she’s gotten worse. Can you go over there with me? Great, thanks. I’ll see you in about an hour.”

       Walter was pretty sure Janine was going to hate him for this, but enough was enough. 

 

       “Hey there Mr. Peck. We haven’t seen you in a while.”

       Maddie and Marcus were cleaning out the temporary Ecto (which was nothing more than a white station wagon with a hasty No Ghost logo on the doors). They were covered in blue goop, as was the inside of the car.

       “Everything alright?”

       “Oh yeah. Just a little slimer that got amorous,” Marcus said. He nodded to a trap on the side table. “He’s locked up tight though. We’ll take him down as soon as we get this mess cleaned up. There’s nothing worse than slime stains.”

       “Good. I’ll take the trap down. Rookie, do you have a moment?”

       “Sure thing.”

       Maddie followed him downstairs to the containment unit. Walter said nothing until they were well away from others. He used the sounds of the purge to cover their conversation.

       “What’s going on with Janine?”

       Maddie ran a hand through her hair, forgetting that they were covered with slime. It made her bangs comically stand on end. 

       “She’s a mess boss. She still won’t come downstairs. Hell, she doesn’t even like leaving the bunk room unless she has to. Marcus and I keep her fed. Greg and Henry split the cleaning duties between them. None of us mind, but…”

       “But it’s getting out of hand. Trust me, I know. When you do see her, how does she look?”

       Maddie shook her head.

       “Hollow. Empty. She’s just a shell.”

       “The Ghostbusters were her life.”

       “Nah, they’re not the problem. It’s Egon.”

       Walter cursed under his breath.

       “It’s always about Egon.”

       Maddie put a hand on his arm, unintentionally slimeing him. 

       “Look, we both know how you feel about her. Maybe it’s time to take a step forward?”

       “She lost the love of her life. I’m not a vulture.”

       “No you aren’t, but she needs guidance and someone to help her focus. Otherwise she’s going to disappear into despair.”

       Walter nodded, knowing she was right even though he didn’t like it. 

       “When did you get so smart about relationships?”

       “Ever since you sent me that egotistical hot shot with the great ass,” she said with a grin. “Being with Ron has been...educational.”

       “Please, by the love of all that’s holy, don’t say anything more.”

       “Sure thing boss,” she snorted.

 

       When they went back to the ground floor Walter spotted Bruce waiting by Janine’s (currently Teresa’s) desk. He was trying to chat the lady up, but since Bruce was about as appealing as a slug he was getting nowhere. Bruce was just barely five feet tall, prematurely balding, and had heavy features that overwhelmed his face. Teresa was cordial to him, but it was clear she wasn’t interested. 

       “Bruce, thanks for coming out,” Walter said as he shook his hand.

       “I wouldn’t miss a chance to see the inside of the Firehouse. So, where’s this little lady that needs a talking to?”

       “She’s upstairs, but I’d be careful. Janine won’t tolerate getting talked down to.”

       “I know how to handle women so lead the way.”

       Walter shook his head and wondered if he made a bad decision. 

 

       “Janine?” Walter called as he knocked on the bunk room door. “Are you in there?”

       He heard some shuffling so he knocked again. 

       “Janine? Can we come in?”

       “Let me try Walt.”

       Bruce pushed him aside, ignoring Walter’s mumbled comment of ‘don’t call me Walt, Brucie’. 

       “Janine? Sweetheart? It’s Dr. Graham! I’m here to talk to you about your problems. I’m coming in! Be a good girl and don’t hide.”

_        “She’s going to skin you alive.”   _ Walter thought. 

       Bruce opened the door. Inside the bunk room was nearly pitch black. The only light was coming from around the edges of the blinds that were pulled all the way down. The place smelled stale from being closed up. Walter was pretty sure that the sheets on the beds hadn’t been changed since the Ghostbusters last slept in them. 

       “Ms. Melnitz?” Bruce asked as he tried to find her.

       “Go away.”

       Walter couldn’t tell where she was, but at least she was responding. 

       “We just want to talk…”

       Bruce ventured carefully forward.

       “We’re here to help. Walt is here too.”

       “He hates that.”

       “Huh?”

       “He hates being called Walt. You shouldn’t do that.”

       Her voice sounded weary. Walter was almost positive she was getting closer, but he still couldn’t figure out exactly where she was in the room. He was also pretty sure she was going to rip Bruce’s face off if he didn’t do it first. 

       “It’s fine. Walt and I go way back. So tell me about your issues. You lost your boyfriend in a car accident right? Don’t you think you’ve been sad long enough? Let’s go out and do some shopping. You’ll like looking pretty again.”

       “How the flying fuck are you a licensed therapist??” Walter hissed quietly. “How is that going to help her?”

       “I don’t see you doing anything,” Bruce sniffed. “Besides, she’s a woman. They’re vain and…”

       Walter grabbed the little snot by his lapels and dragged him out of the bunk room. Bruce was about to complain when he saw Walter’s face in the light. The man was so angry there were veins popping out on his forehead. 

       “Janine is the LEAST vain person I know! She has been through hell and you’re telling her she’s been sad for too long?? No one has the right to tell anyone how to mourn! Get out before I smash in your big fat skull!!”

       Bruce made a strangled sound as he broke free from Walter’s grasp and hustled down the stairs. As soon as Walter knew the idiot was out the door he went into the bunk room. 

       “Janine?”

       “That guy is a douche bag. I can’t believe your brought him here.”

       He squinted into the darkness, finally spotting her sitting on Winston’s bed.

       “I’m so sorry. I haven’t seen him in years. I had no idea he had become so…dickish.”

       She snorted, but there was no fire in it. He took slow steps over to her.

       “Don’t worry about it. At least you didn’t bring Jack in here.”

       Walter grimaced. 

       “Jack Hardemeyer is a putz.”

       “Yes.”

       Walter wanted to keep her talking, but he didn’t know what to say. ‘How are you’ seemed stupid…

       “I was out of line,” she whispered. “I feel like I’m splitting in half.”

       He was almost to the bed. Janine’s outline was clear even in the dark room. 

       “I don’t know what to do anymore Walter. I’m lost.”

       Gingerly he sat on the bed next to her.

       “You aren’t lost. I’m here,” he said as he took her hand.

       “I know,” she replied, leaning against him. “I know and I hate you for it because it means the guys aren’t.”

       He clenched his teeth to hold back a biting comment. Now wasn’t the time to attack her.

       “But at the same time I’m so grateful you’re here. If you weren’t...if you weren’t I probably would have jumped in the river so I could be with them again.”

       Walter turned and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her.

       “Don’t say that! Don’t even think that!”

       “Why not?” she whispered, sounding defeated. 

       “Because I need you. I love you Janine.”

       He felt her freeze and immediately let go. 

       “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t mean…”

       He got up to pace, frantic over her reaction since it obviously wasn’t a good one.

       “No Walter, it’s ok. Thank you for telling me.”

       Her words seemed sincere, but her voice was empty. He wanted to kick himself for being such an idiot. 

       “I think you’re right,” she murmured.

       He pounced, desperate to talk about anything other than the confession he just made.

       “About?”

       “I need to see someone. A professional...one that isn’t a dickhead.” 

       Relief surged through him. He took a deep breath, but regretted it since his mouth now tasted like stale air and corn chips.

       “I’ll take care of it,” he said, heading for the door.

       “Thank you. And Walter?”

       “Yes?”

       “Please come back. We...I need you.”

       He nodded once and left.


	5. Coming to Terms

       Finding a person who could handle a case like Janine’s was incredibly easy. In a city as big as New York, they were more than plentiful. Locating one that made house calls was a little harder. One that was trained, made house calls, and was affordable was impossible. Walter was about to take a personal loan out when the answer to his prayers walked in the Firehouse exactly one week after the catastrophe with Bruce. 

       “Hello, I’m Dr. Melanie Thornbloom. Is Mr. Peck available?”

       Teresa was knee deep in calls so she only gave the little woman a disinterested glance, then pointed to the swinging hip-height door to her left. 

       “Back there,” she said, returning to the client screaming about a dead mummy that was eating her petunias. 

       Walter was also on the phone when Dr. Thornbloom entered his office area. Peter’s diplomas were still on the wall, but everything else of the missing Ghostbusters’ stuff was carefully packed away in storage. This meant that Walter was sitting as a painfully clean desk with paperwork that was actually getting done. He signaled to Dr. Thornbloom to sit while he finished his call. 

       “Yes Gloria, I’ll have Henry and Greg back to you next week, but go ahead and hire two more people anyway just in case. It’s not like we can’t afford it.”

       “True. Every time someone decides to revamp an old hotel or landmark we get an uptick. I’m thinking about getting us a second car,” Gloria said with a smile in her voice.

       “Good idea, but wait until we can pay for it in cash. The insurance will be cheaper. I have to run. Talk to you soon.”

       Walter hung up and turned his attention to his guest. She was a short, plump woman with dark brown hair that was just starting to gray at the temples. Narrow purple rimmed glasses sat on her delicate nose, giving her a scholarly look. He noticed that she had wrinkles on her face, but they mostly laugh lines. In fact he couldn’t help but smile at her as she sat there patiently. 

       “What can I do for you?”

       “Mr. Peck? My name is Dr. Melanie Thornbloom. I heard through the grapevine that you need help, which is funny because I need some too.”

       She explained that her sister lived on a haunted farm in Connecticut, which was out of the Ghostbusters’ standard territory. Getting them to the farm would require lots of red tape, permits, and more specialty fees than the average person could handle. 

       “Perhaps one house call deserves another,” she said, smiling. 

       Walter nodded, understanding her meaning. He liked this woman already. She gave a sweet relative or neighbor vibe, which Janine would most likely respond too. Walter also had the feeling Melanie had a spine of steel under all that fluff. 

       “I’m sure the team would love a weekend trip to the country. Thank you for the offer,” he said, sure that the doctor would be able to read between the lines. “Would you like to meet Janine while you’re here?”

       She nodded so he showed her to the bunk room. Janine was still in the dark, and the room was still musty. Melanie turned to Walter and asked him to stay outside while they talked. 

 

       An hour later Melanie came out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Walter, who stayed nearby, was anxious. 

       “Well?”

       “The good news is that I can help her. The bad news is that it’s going to take a lot of time, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better. I’ll need to see her quite frequently in the beginning. I’ll come here after work since it looks like she’s a night owl.”

       “That would be fantastic. Is there anything I can do?”

       Dr. Thornbloom put a hand on his shoulder.

       “Be there for her, but don’t coddle her. Be strong, but not mean. Most of all, keep showing her that you love her.”

       Walter blanched. 

       “She told you I said that?”

       Melanie smiled softly. 

       “She didn’t have to. Good day Mr. Peck.”

 

       The following weeks were difficult for everyone in the Firehouse. After the first few sessions Janine became even more withdrawn. Walter was sure if it wasn’t for the rest of the team taking care of her she would have willed herself dead. Maddie had to drag the squalling Janine into the bathroom for what was probably her first shower in a week. Clothing was another concern. Janine refused to wear anything but Peter’s sweats, but she also refused to let them be washed, along with the sheets, blankets...anything that might carry the smell of her guys. Henry made the nearly fatal mistake of sneaking into the bunk room while she was in session with Dr. Thornbloom and stripped the beds. Janine caught him in the act and lashed out at him so badly he returned to San Diego the next day. After some hard negotiations the sheets and blankets were washed, but she had managed to keep Egon’s pillow and pillowcase.

       Another time Walter found Janine lying on the floor next to the fire pole. At first he thought she fainted, but realized she was actually listening to what was going on downstairs. 

       “Janine?” he asked softly.

       “If I close my eyes and pretend, it kinda sounds like the guys,” she whispered in response as she snuggled Ray’s Dopey Dog. 

       That night Walter had to sneak a crushed Valium in with her food so that she could get some sleep that didn’t include bad dreams. Being patient didn’t come easily to him. That’s why he was so good at his old job. While politicians and government agencies on the whole seemed to take things slowly, they always needed a man of action to handle things. Walter was always that man. Now however he had to sit by and watch Janine fall apart even more before she could get better. Dr. Thornbloom said that she had to hit rock bottom. After that the healing could begin. He tried to argue that something like that was for addicts, but she told him that it was the same for a lot of people. 

       “She has a lot of anger and guilt. Until she lets go of it she can’t move forward.”

       “Guilt? About what?”

       “I’m sorry but I can’t talk about that without her permission.”

       “But…”

       “No Mr. Peck. I will not speak to you about my sessions with Janine,” she said firmly as she picked up her briefcase and prepared to leave.

       “I understand. I’m sorry I pushed the issue.”

       Melanie smiled, her face switching from stern headmistress to kindly aunt instantly. 

       “It’s quite alright. There’s nothing wrong with showing concern. Oh, by the way, I have a gift for you. I’m sure you’ll find it enlightening.”

       She pulled a small paperback book out of her case and handed it to him.

       “Good night Mr. Peck. I’ll see you both in two days.”

       After she left he looked at the book.  _ Surviving a Survivor: How to Help the Ones You Love _ . He sat down and began to read, hungrily absorbing the answers the book gave him. 

 

       It took 14 two hour sessions over three weeks to get Janine to leave the Firehouse for the first time. Dr. Thornbloom, Maddie, and Janine took a short walk around the block. Walter paced by Teresa’s desk until they returned. He had prepared himself to spend the evening calming Janine down, but was shocked and pleased that when they returned Janine looked better. She still had a sickly pallor and a deep sadness to her eyes, but the hopelessness was slowly lifting. Walter wasn’t a man who cried, because men never cry according to his father, but he allowed himself a quick mental thank you to whatever deity was listening. 

 

       Janine had made such an improvement since February that Dr. Thornbloom only saw her twice a month now. Things were looking up for not only her but the Ghostbusters overall. The building right beside them was purchased and was getting put to good use. The entire 3rd floor was now housing for the Busters, including Walter and Janine. The team roster had also changed. Maddie and Marcus were back in Chicago (although Janine made Maddie promise to come back soon), and Greg returned to San Diego. In their places were Steve from San Diego (although he was a permanent transplant), Herb (a local spiritualist with a great call list of experts for research), Stephanie (electronics whiz), and Mona (a former Navy pilot and an amazon of a woman). Most interesting was that Walter occasionally wore the tan suit to help with busts. It didn’t surprise Janine, but it took her some time to get used to it. Lastly the Ecto-1 was moved to its own newly built garage in the alley behind the firehouse. Two new vehicles replaced it, including the station wagon Walter bought a few months before, only now it was beefed up and official looking. The other was a large panel van with a portable containment unit for bigger jobs. Overall things were running as well as before thanks to Walter.

       Janine had tried to return to her duties, but it was still too much for her to handle emotionally. She didn’t really need a job since her ownership of the Ghostbusters more than covered her bills, so instead she spent her time going through every book in Egon’s library, reading each one from cover to cover. Walter would find her there at almost any time of day, nose deep in a book. At first he couldn’t get her to do anything but read, then one day in March he happened to be talking to Mona about a new play called Phantom of the Opera. Janine practically pounced on him in her excitement. Walter vowed to get tickets, and he did, but at the cost of nearly ever favor owed to him at city hall since it was the biggest show on Broadway. 

       The night of the play she wore the same dress midnight blue dress she wore to the opera so many years ago. It was refreshing to see her in something other than baggy shirts and sweatpants, although the dress was a just a smidge tighter on her than before. Janine caught him looking and smacked his arm. 

       “It’s from all the junk food I’ve been eating. I need to get back to the gym. I haven’t played racquetball in months...maybe you would like to come with me?”

       He grinned and offered his arm as they walked out to the waiting cab. 

       “I’d love to.”

 

       From that night on they would go to a play, concert, or other outing at least once a week. By the time April rolled around Janine was laughing and joking more than she was crying. However somehow, inevitably, Egon would be mentioned at least once a night. Walter tried not to take offense, but it was starting to get on his nerves. He didn’t begrudge Janine keeping hope but it also made him feel like he was in constant competition with a man who was most likely dead. Still, he kept at it. Janine was warming up to him and to life. He would do everything he could to keep her happy.

 

       In mid-April Janine mentioned to Walter that she was going to the doctor because she was still gaining weight even though they both hit the gym several times a week together. He offered to give her a lift, but she said it was easier to walk, so he didn’t about it again until she came back several hours later. She had a dark disturbed look on her face and headed straight for the stairs. 

       “Janine?” Walter called from beside Teresa’s desk. “What’s wrong?”

       She stopped halfway up the stairs to look at him, but didn’t respond. Walter’s heart thumped hard. He knew that look. When he heard the door to Egon’s lab slam shut he knew he needed to take action before she slipped back into depression. Taking the steps two at a time he quickly made it upstairs and was banging on the locked lab door. 

       “Janine? Janine! What’s going on?!”

       He heard papers getting thrown around and books hitting the floor. 

       “Janine! Open up!” Walter yelled, pounding on the door. 

       “I have to find the guys!” she hollered from the other side. 

       “Let’s talk about this! Let me in!”

       He saw Stephanie out of the corner of his eye. 

       “Call Dr. Thornbloom. Tell her that Janine is obsessing again...Janine please open the door!”

       “NO. I have to find Egon!”

       “DAMNIT JANINE!!” All of the anger that had been building for months surfaced in him. He was tired of this back and forth. He loved her, she KNEW he loved her, but she still chased after a dead man. With a grunt of outrage he kicked in the door, making splinters fly everywhere. Walter saw Janine sitting on the floor, a mess of papers, scrolls, and books around her. Mascara stained tear tracks ran down her face. 

       “GO AWAY. I NEED EGON!!”

       “I’m sick of this Janine! Egon isn’t coming back! What do I have to do to convince you of that?!”

       “You can’t! I need him!”

       Walter was fuming as he stormed around the room, arms waving as he talked.

       “I’ve done everything I can to show you that I care about you. I’ve kept the Ghostbusters running. I’ve had the team looking for them when they aren’t on calls. I do whatever you ask me to and more! I love you Janine, although right now I can’t fucking figure out why because all you ever do is throw that MAN in my face every chance you get! I’m tired of competing with a ghost!”

       Janine stumbled to her feet, fresh tears on her face.

       “Walter you don’t understand…”

       “You’re right, I don’t! I can’t do this anymore. I’ve got to get out of here. Keep looking for him if you want. I don’t care anymore…”

       Walter turned to walk out of the door, out of the Firehouse, out of her life when he felt her grab his arm. He turned and was trapped again by her tears. He sighed, knowing he wouldn’t go anywhere. 

       "Janine..."

       “Walter...I’m pregnant.”


	6. A Coming Storm

May 1988

 

       She missed Walter, but she couldn’t blame him for keeping his distance. Ever since her breakdown things had been different between them. He was still with the Ghostbusters, working as hard as ever, but their weekly ‘dates’ had stopped. He rarely said more than a few things to her during the day, mostly ‘how are you’ and the like. Small talk. Stupid, simple small talk. Janine knew he still cared though. The morning after her doctor’s appointment she found a bottle of prenatal vitamins and some cocoa butter in a bag hanging off the doorknob to the bunk room. There were other little things, like homemade pre-cooked meals in the fridge, but it wasn’t the same. She wanted Walter. 

       Janine was sitting in Egon’s lab, reading yet another book on trans-dimensional physics, when she heard a roll of thunder in the distance. It pulled her out of her book enough that she couldn’t get back into it. Even though it was barely 8 pm she decided to get ready for bed and read one of Winston’s mystery novels until she was tired enough to sleep. Her hand was just reaching for the light switch in the bunk room when a bolt of lightning flashed, lighting it up for a moment. In the brief light she saw three made up beds and one hoarders nest. Janine walked over to Egon’s bed in the dark and sat down. As the lightning streaked across the sky she thought about what she was doing with her life. Sleeping in Egon’s bed, wearing Peter’s clothes, sleeping with Ray’s stuffed animal, reading Winston’s books...was it about the guys or about herself? What exactly was she holding on to?

       Her hand absently rested over the growing swell in her body. No matter what happened now, if they came back or if they didn’t, Egon would always be apart of her life. Her son (she had no doubt it was a boy) would grow up knowing that his father was a good, smart man who would have loved him endlessly. He would never question if he was wanted because Janine would shower him with the affection she couldn’t give Egon, and when her little boy grew up into a good, smart man, he would be just like his father. 

       Suddenly the room seemed to be suffocating her. She had to get out of there before the walls fell in. Janine bolted out the door, down the stairs, and outside, not even stopping for a pair of shoes or a jacket to protect her from the pending spring rain. 

 

       Walter sat quietly in the wing-back chair he kept near the window for nights just like tonight while soft classical music played. Although there was a book open in his lap, his attention was on the storm outside. There was something purifying about rain. It had been going strong for about an hour, although the lightning and thunder had mellowed to the occasional far off roll or flash. He was thinking about calling it an early night when he heard a soft knock on his door. Unsure of who it could be at this time of night he quickly crossed the room, opening the door just after a second knock. 

       “Janine??!”

       She was shivering violently from the cold. Her t-shirt and sweatpants were soaked and clinging to her body. Her baby bump was very visible, causing his heart to ache a bit in longing. He saw with shock that she wasn’t wearing shoes. 

       “What have you been doing?? Come on, let’s get to your apartment…”

       Walter reached for her arm, but she moved to the side and slipped past him to go into his apartment. He was confused, but closed the door and faced her.

       “Janine, you’re freezing.”

       “Then warm me up.”

       When she stepped forward, arms open for him, he stepped back only to hit the door. Walter was more than confused now, in fact he was alarmed. He grabbed her by the wrists before she could touch him. 

       “What the hell is going on?” 

       Janine pulled her hands free and moved away from him, crossing her arms over her body, clearly embarrassed. 

       “I thought...never mind, I don’t know what came over me. Forget I was here.”

       Since Walter was still against the door she couldn’t leave until he moved. She gave him a stern look, but he didn’t budge. 

       “Walter I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have come here.”

       “You’re not leaving until you talk to me.”

       “That’s funny,” she snorted. “You’ve hardly said two words to me in ages and now you want to talk?”

       “That’s different.”

       “Like hell.”

       He didn’t want the first private moment they’ve had in weeks to turn into a fight. 

       “Ok fine, I’ve been a dick to you. I’m sorry.”

       She hung her head and sighed. 

       “No...no you haven’t. I know you’ve been getting me stuff for the baby and cooking my meals. You’ve been more sweet to me than I deserve.”

       She shivered suddenly. Walter, not caring that she was sopping wet, gathered her into his arms. He could feel the cold water seeping into his clothes but he didn’t care. He had been wanting to hold her like this for so long…

       “You’re real,” she murmured.

       “What?”

       Janine pulled back so she could look him in the eye. 

       “You’re real. I can touch you, feel you,” she said, putting a chilly hand on his cheek. Walter unconsciously leaned into her touch. “Egon is gone but inside me too. I have to live for myself and my child. I can’t stay in the shadow of the past anymore.”

       He felt her tense up, but she didn’t move away from him.

       “I love you Walter. I can finally say that. I love you so much that I was scared of you, of how things would change. I believed that if I said anything that I would ruin something, but the only thing I did was hurt you. I’m so sorry. I can’t say that enough.”

       She moved away now, leaving him with a cold feeling that had nothing to do with his wet clothes. 

       “But things did change,” she said, putting a hand over her baby as she turned her back on him. “I’m carrying another man’s child. I won’t ask you to try and care for me now. It would be cruel to put you through that, but…”

       Walter spun her around and pulled her into a crushing kiss. It was nothing like the first and only kiss they had shared years ago. That was a hopeless embrace in a hopeless moment. This was pure fire and passion, filled with promise and desire. Walter’s fingers seemed to burn her skin through her shirt. She wanted more of him. In eagerness she ripped at his shirt, popped buttons flying. He let go of her to finish the job, never breaking this kiss. While Walter toed off his shoes and fumbled with his belt Janine peeled off her sweatpants. They hit the floor with a muffled splat. Later she would regret leaving wet clothes on the carpet, but for now she didn’t care. Walter’s pants and boxers fell to the floor a moment later. Janine pressed herself against him and grabbed a handful of ass. He grunted in appreciation, breaking the kiss so he could get her shirt off. Now both naked he pulled her to him, molding her body to his. Janine clung to his shoulders and returned his kiss with all she had. She couldn’t get enough of his taste, his smell. It calmed her soul and fired up her body. 

       “Bed,” she said, breaking the kiss.

       “Bed,” he agreed. 

       With a swoop she was in his arms and carried to his bedroom bridal style. His door was partially closed, so he gave it a quick kick. Janine couldn’t help but giggle at him. 

       “So primal,” she said as she nuzzled his neck.

       “You want primal? Baby, I’m an animal…”

 

       Much later Janine was lying on her back, fighting to keep from falling asleep. Not only was Walter a very...enthusiastic lover, he was the kind that saw sex as an athletic sport not quick pop of hormones. She was exhausted, physically sated, and his fluffy bed wasn’t helping her keep her eyes open. 

       The light clicked off in the bathroom and Walter strode out, still stark naked. Janine sat up on her elbows to take a look at him. He was lean, well muscled, and just hairy enough for her taste. Walter noticed the predatory look she was giving him and smirked. 

       “I heard that pregnant women have an increased sex drive, but I’m going to need some sleep before we do this again.”

       “You only have yourself to blame. It’s not my fault you’re damn sexy.”

       Walter slid into bed beside her and laid down with his head propped up in his hand so he could look down at her while they talked. 

       “Not to be a mood killer, but are you sure about this?” Janine asked. “I don’t want you to feel trapped.”

       His free hand made a trail down her body, ending on her baby bump. His strong calloused hand covered the entire thing without having to spread his fingers. She felt so small next to him, just like she did with Egon. Her heart fluttered. 

       “I love you Janine, and I’ll love your son. If you want me to be a father to him then I will be. I’d be lying if I said the idea of being a family never crossed my mind.”

       She stared at him for a moment, not really understanding what he was saying. 

       “Wait…”

       “Not right away of course. I think with everything going on taking things slowly would be in both our best interests, but I don’t want to take a chance on losing you.”

       “Walter…”

       “We can keep separate apartments for as long as you like, but I’d love to be able to help with the baby when he comes. The sooner I learn how to be a dad the better it will be for the rest of our children…”

       “I don’t…” Janine’s eyes were getting wide as he talked.

       “When the time comes we can move into one of the penthouse apartments upstairs. I assume you’d want to stay close to the Firehouse. I think it will be fun working with my wife. I need to remind myself to see what the schools are like around here. We might have to go private, but that’s a long way off...”

       “Walter!” 

       She covered his mouth with her hand to get him to stop talking. 

       “Walter,” she said calmly but firmly. “Are you...are you asking me to marry you?”

       He kissed her palm then gently pulled her hand from his face. 

       “Well, this isn’t the proper way to ask since I don’t have a ring and I’m not on one knee, but...yes.”

       Her eyes sparkled, excitement and anticipation dancing in them as she looked at him. 

       “Really? You really want to marry me and have kids?”

       He chuckled.

       “Not tomorrow, but when you’re ready I want to marry you. I’ve been in love with you ever since that day I saw you at your desk, surrounded by paperwork and spilled coffee. You went from a smart-mouthed mama bear to a woman I was compelled to reach out to.”

       “I think the words you used to Egon were ‘yipping little shit’,” she grinned. 

_        “It didn’t hurt to say his name,” _   she thought, a little shocked at the revelation. 

       “Yeah well, I didn’t mean it…”

       “Yes you did, but I don’t care. I used to think your were a pompous dickwad with a giant stick up your ass. I think we’re even,” she giggled. “But yeah, I’m going to need time.” 

       He rolled over slightly so he could turn off the bedside lamp. Turning back he pulled Janine close to him, wrapping his arms around her. 

       “Walter…” 

       He could hear the hesitation in her voice.

       “Yes?”

       “I’m always going to love Egon. I can’t stop that, but...when the time comes...my answer will be yes.”

       Walter’s heart did back flips of joy as he kissed the top of her head softly. In moments they were both fast asleep and dreaming of the future. 

 

March 1998

 

       “Ghostbusters. If you’ve got a ghost, we’ll make them toast. Yes, uh huh. Ok, that sounds like a class three. I have an appointment available tomorrow at 2 pm. No problem. Good bye.”

       Janine, in her traditional garb of a short skirt, heels, and a silk blouse, made a quick note on her computer with the client’s information, then assigned a team to handle the bust, all without leaving her desk. 

       “Janine, was that our last opening for tomorrow?” Walter called from his office behind her.

       “Yup, but the Fort Lee team has some spots left so we should be fine. I still can’t get over this online booking system. It’s like magic.”

       “Beats all the paperwork too,” he said as he walked over to her desk. He was wearing a tan GB jumpsuit that was still carrying a bit of slime from the last bust he was on. “Coffee?”

       “Please. How did Frank work out?”

       “Eh, not bad. He’s no Mona, but then again who could be?” he said as he filled up her favorite mug. It had a tiny blue hand print on it and ‘world’s best mom’ in red on the side. After dumping in two sugars he headed back to her desk.

       “Thank you,” she said, taking the mug from him. “Any word on the license for Miami?”

       “Not yet, but I’m not concerned. Councilwoman Smith said that we were definitely in, but they have more red tape to go through since we have to prove our containment unit is hurricane proof.”

       After taking another sip of coffee Janine got up and stood beside him, automatically wrapping her arms around his neck. 

       “You know, EJ won’t be home for a bit yet, and the rest of the team is out of on a bust…” she purred. 

       Walter leered at her, and with a swift move lifted her up so that she was sitting on her desk. Janine’s legs opened so he could stand between them. 

       “Why Mrs. Peck, are you suggesting we do something inappropriate during the work day?”

       “Absolutely,” she grinned.

       She ran her hands through his hair as he leaned in for a kiss. Just then the front door chimed. Walter quickly stepped back, cursing lightly, so that Janine could hop down and look presentable. 

       “Welcome to the Ghostbusters. How can we…”

       Walter watched in horror as Janine’s eyes rolled up in her head. He grabbed her a split second after her knees gave way. 

       “Janine!” he cried as he shook her. 

       She was still in his arms when he turned just enough to see what had shocked her so much to make her pass out cold. 

       “VENKMAN?!”


	7. Story Time

       Peter was having one hell of a day, although to be fair Egon and Ray had warned him that there was a good chance he would pop up at the bottom of a river. If he had really thought about the possibility he wouldn’t have worn his proton pack. When he re-materialized in the East River he had to get out of his gear before he could swim to the surface. Thankfully he was able to get to shore in less time than it took to find a cab. 

       “Ghostbusters,” he said simply when a taxi finally stopped for him. 

       “You reek! I’m going ta have ta charge ya extra for gettin’ my seat wet.”

       “Fine whatever, just get me home.”

       “Ya said Ghostbastahs, right? Which one?”

       “I’m am too tired for jokes right now…”

       “Same. Which one?” the cabbie repeated.

       Peter sighed. He wanted a hot shower, a meal, and find out who else made it out. 

       “Tribeca,” he said, closing his eyes. 

       If he had kept them open he would have seen that things were a little different than before…

 

       “How much for the ride?!!”

       “$40, plus tip.”

       He threw the money at the cabbie as he got out.

       “Here’s a tip. Never eat lead.”

       As the taxi pulled away Peter looked up at the Firehouse. It seemed a little cleaner than he remembered it, but he figured he had swallowed enough river water to hallucinate. He walked in, trying to ignore how he feet squished with every step. When Janine’s dulcet tones greeted him, he knew he was home. It’s just a shame that she passed out as soon as she saw him. 

       “Pecker?! What the hell are you doing here? Let Janine go!”

       Peter charged forward and practically ripped Janine from Walter’s arms, carrying her back to his office in order to get away from the dickless jerk. He stopped cold when he saw what had happened to his sanctuary. Peter spun around, still holding Janine.

       “What the fuck is going on??!”

       Walter was white as a sheet, but he kept his wits. 

       “I’ll explain later. Lie her down on the desk,” he ordered before disappearing into the downstairs bathroom. 

       He came back a moment later with the first aid kit as Peter carefully put Janine down. Her feet dangled off the edge of the desk. Her shoes clattered to the floor while Walter dug through the first aid kit. Finally he found the box of ammonia packets. He broke one open and waved it under Janine’s nose while he held her head up a bit. 

       “Come on sweetheart...”

       “Sweetheart?!” Peter covered his face with his hands. “I’m in hell. I’ve crossed over and this is hell.”

       Walter ignored him. Janine was coming around thanks to the awful smelling ammonia. 

       “Walter? Oh gods Walter I thought I saw Peter!”

       Her husband held her hand and helped her sit up. 

       “You did see Peter, and Peter is very pissed off!” the long-lost Buster yelled.

       Janine stared at Dr. Venkman for so long Walter was about to dig out another packet. Suddenly she sprang off the desk and launched herself at Peter, pulling him into such a tight hug the man turned a little blue. He could feel her shaking as she cried into his chest.

       “Woah woah woah Red, it’s ok. Dr. V is here,” Peter said softly, his anger melting into confusion and concern. He looked up at Walter. “What the hell?”

       “It’s a long story…”

       The front door chimed, stopping Walter. He checked his watch, then sharply looked back to Peter. 

       “Don’t make a scene,” he whispered. 

       “Mom? Dad? I’m home!”

       “We’re in my office EJ!”

       Peter’s eyes went wide as saucers as a gawky nine-year-old boy walked up. His glasses, hair (both color and style) and lanky body were the spitting image of Egon, but his eyes were all Janine. The kid studied Peter for a moment, then his mom. 

       “Dad, why is Mom crying?”

       “She’s happy EJ,” Walter said, shooting a glance at Peter. 

       “Yeah, happy...She’s hasn’t seen your Uncle Pete in a long time kiddo.”

       The boy straightened his glasses.

       “I don’t have an Uncle Peter. I assume you’re Dr. Venkman?”

       Janine, finally able to pull herself off her friend, sniffed and smiled. 

       “Yes, he is. Dr. Peter Venkman, may I please introduce to you Egon Joseph Peck...my son.”

       “Everyone calls me EJ. It’s easier,” he said as he held his hand out to Peter. 

       “Glad to meet you,” Peter said slowly as he processed everything. 

       “EJ, why don’t you take Dr. Venkman upstairs? I’m sure he’d love a shower. There are some clothes in the bunk room that will fit him. Oh, and wake your sister up ok?” Janine asked.

       EJ nodded.

       “I’m sure you know the way, but it will make Mom feel better if I actually take you. If you’ll follow me please?”

       Peter looked back at Walter, who had pulled Janine into a soft hug while she got the last of her tears out. 

       “We’ll catch up as soon as I’m done.”

       His voice had more menace than he probably intended, but Walter didn’t seem to notice. 

       “Of course.”

       Janine and Walter waited until both Peter and EJ were upstairs before talking.

       “I can’t believe it. He just showed up like nothing happened,” Janine said, her voice still unsteady. 

       Walter steered her to his chair, then leaned against the desk beside her.

       “Maybe he doesn’t know how much time has passed. We don’t know where he’s been.”

       He looked down at his feet for a moment. Janine knew he was about to say something he didn’t want to. 

       “If...when Egon comes back...I won’t stand in your way. I’ve always known that I was your second choice…”

       Janine bolted up out of the chair and grabbed Walters face, forcing him to look at her.

       “No way pal! I made my decision the day I said ‘I do’. I am your wife. You’re the father of my children. Nothing will change that. I love you Walter, and if you ever call yourself a second choice again I’ll kick your ass so hard you’ll be tasting shoe leather for weeks.”

       Walter froze for a moment, then pulled her into a deep passionate kiss. 

       “Guess you told me,” he chuckled after they came up for air. 

       “Just wait till I get you home tonight,” she smirked, giving his manhood a quick goose. 

       He growled at her affectionately and bit her neck lightly. 

       “I’m all for trying for number three. One of the best parts of being a father is making the baby.”

       “Agreed. Although, it’s funny. I always manage to faint when I’m pregnant...weird isn’t it?” she asked, watching his face for a reaction. 

       It took Walter a few beats to figure out what Janine was saying. He framed her face with his hands.

       “Are you...?”

       She beamed at him, loving him more for how much he clearly enjoyed being a dad. 

       “The doctor confirmed it yesterday.”

       Walter whooped loudly and spun her around. Janine clung to him for dear life, laughing with him. 

       “I can’t believe I’m going to be a father again! Your mom is going to flip. When do you want to tell everyone?”

       Janine’s smile dropped a bit.

       “Let’s wait until after…”

       She looked as if she could see through the ceiling. Walter nodded in agreement. 

       “We should give him a bit more time before going up. I’m sure seeing us is as much of a shock to him as it was for us.”

       Janine ran a hand down his chest and gave him a look that went straight to his groin. 

       “What will we do in the meantime?” she asked innocently.

       Walter grabbed her hand and drug her off to the nearest storage closet, Janine giggling the whole way.

 

       Peter felt more human and way less stinky after a scalding hot shower. EJ had found him a set of lazy Sunday clothes and left them on the bathroom counter for him. Peter noticed that they were a little more worn than he remembered, but he didn’t honestly care. Everything was too strange to be bothered with some clothes. After his shower he wandered around a bit. The layout was pretty much the same, although the furniture and kitchen were updated enough to show the passing of time. He spotted a wall of pictures that hadn’t been there before. Peter didn’t recognize most of the people in the shots, but almost all of them wore Ghostbusters suits of various colors. With some quick math he figured there were at least seven teams pictured. Mixed in where some wedding photos (including one of Pecker and Janine), and more than a few with squalling babies. The photos were all arranged radiating around a single shot. In the center, right at eye height, was a large framed picture of the Ghostbusters the day of Winston’s first successful bust with the team. They were standing in front of Ecto with Ray was on the left, smoking as always. Winston was beside him, holding a steaming trap. Peter took a moment to admire himself before moving on. Egon was next with Janine hanging off Egon’s left arm. Everyone looked young, hopeful, and vibrant. 

       “I’ll get you back guys. I promise.”

       “I hate that picture.”

       Peter glanced over to see EJ standing beside him. He hadn’t heard the boy walk up, but since Egon would pull the same trick he wasn’t surprised. 

       “Why’s that sport?”

       “It makes Mom cry. I don’t like it when she cries. It makes me feel bad.”

       Peter looked back at the picture and understood. He didn’t like it when his mom cried either.

       "Does she cry a lot?"

       "Not as much as she used to, but once in a while I'll see her staring at this picture like it could talk to her or something. I want to help her but I don't know how...at least not yet."

       “You come from brainy stock. You'll figure it out before you know it," he said. "So...you know who I am?”

       “Mom and Dad don’t talk about you much, other than in a legendary kind of way, so I did some of my own research. You founded the Ghostbusters along with Dr. Stanz and my father.”

       Peter’s eyebrows went up in surprise. 

       “So you know that…”

       “That my dad is not my father?” EJ adjusted his glasses and looked at Peter like his question was incredibly stupid. “Of course.”

       “Do you know what happened to Egon and the rest of us?”

       “There are some theories, but no. The Ecto was recovered, but it was empty inside and there was no way of tracking you down. Dad said that Mom spent a lot of time and money looking for clues, but eventually she had to stop because of me and Audrey...wait, I forgot to wake her up from her nap. I’ll be right back.”

       EJ disappeared into the bunk room, coming back a few minutes later with a little redheaded girl holding his hand. She was rubbing her eyes and clearly not ready to be awake. However as soon as she spotted Peter she cheered and ran over to him with her hands held high. 

       “Up Unca Petah up!!”

       He didn’t know if it was because she was the spitting image of Janine, or because he always had a fondness for kids, but Peter’s heart melted instantly. He swooped the little thing up, holding her high above his head and spun her around. She giggled and squealed in happiness. When he brought her down she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. 

       “Unca Petah! I love you!”

       “That’s no faint praise,” Janine said as she walked into the rec room, Walter right behind her. 

       Audrey wiggled to be let down. As soon as her feet hit the floor she was running to Janine, who automatically picked her up. 

       “Did you have a good nap baby?” asked Janine as she took the bundle of energy into the kitchen for a snack. 

       “EJ why don’t you get started on your homework? Peter and I need to talk,” Walter said calmly. 

       “Alright. I’ll be in the lab.” 

       EJ headed upstairs, leaving the two men alone. Peter sat down on the sofa, glaring at Walter. 

       “Well?”

       “I’d rather wait for Janine.”

       “No, we can start now.”

       Walter sighed and sat in a chair opposite Peter. 

       “My involvement started when I got a call from Janine one afternoon…”

 

       Peter patiently listened to Walter, only interrupting when he needed clarification. When Janine joined them she took over telling the story so that Walter could check on Audrey and EJ. 

       “...and that pretty much brings us to today.”

       She had held his hand the entire time she talked. It was as if she was afraid he was going to disappear if she didn’t. Peter sat up and hugged her.

       “I’m sorry Janine. I’m so sorry.”

       “It’s ok Peter,” she said, returning his embrace. “We all knew it was a risk of the job.”

       He let go, but went back to holding her hand. 

       “Yeah but you’ve kept things going for nearly a decade. I’d say that’s above your pay grade.” 

       “I don’t know about that. I was well compensated while I owned the Ghostbusters, and...Egon made sure I was cared for.”

       “One, what do you mean by ‘owned’? Did you sell us or something? Two, what?”

       “You have a clause that allows you to take the Busters back at any time. I assumed you would be doing that. As for point two, Egon had a lot of patents and inventions that generated a decent amount of income. He gave everything to me, so when I found out I was pregnant I put it all in a fund for EJ. He’ll be able to go to whatever school he wants, of course with his grades I’m sure they’ll let him in for free.”

       She chuckled, but Peter could hear a tinge of sadness in her voice. 

       “I’ve got to admit, I didn’t think Pecker would stick to raise someone else’s kid.”

       “He’s a wonderful father Peter, and he loves me,” Janine said, ready to defend her husband. 

       “Yeah...yeah I know. I don’t want to see it, but I do. You know when you were out cold he called you sweetheart?”

       Janine blushed, making Peter laugh. 

       “You’re really gone on him.”

       “Yeah. It’s different than it was with Egon. I know what Walter is thinking and wants. I don’t have to guess. I still miss Egon...I always will, but Walter makes me happy.” 

       “So if we find Iggy…”

       “I’m staying with Walter," she said firmly. "I wouldn’t be here without him, and honestly neither would the Ghostbusters. I was ready to give up. I even thought about…”

       Peter squeezed her hand so she didn't have to finish her sentence. 

       “It’s ok Red. I understand. Don’t worry, Dr. V is here. We’ll get the old team back together. I’ll even play nice with your hubby.”

       Fresh tears glistened in her eyes but she quickly wiped them away.

       “Thank you Peter. You have no idea how much I missed you.”

       “Welp you can make it up to me by getting me some food. I’m starving!”

 

       Walter made dinner that night in the apartment he shared with Janine and the kids. They kept the conversation light, not because of EJ since he already had a good handle on things, but because they wanted to give Peter time to adjust. 

       “So Peck, you wear the tan now?” Peter asked with a tone that screamed ‘that better not have been my jumpsuit.’

       “On occasion when necessary, but usually I stay at the Firehouse with Janine and handle PR and legal matters.”

       “Daddy’s a Buster!” Audrey squeaked from her booster seat, earning a smile from her parents. 

       Peter grinned at her, his heart completely gone on the kid. 

       “Are you going to be a Buster when you grow up?”

       “YES! Imma zap an trap, just like you an Unca Ray an Unca Wins’n, an Unca Igone.”

       “Egon sweetie, just like your brother,” Janine corrected, then turned to Peter. “She’s very smart for four, but I think her mouth can’t keep up with her brain.”

       “Having a smart mind is better than having a smart mouth. Besides, that’s my job.”

       “No one does it better,” agreed Janine. 

 

       They talked about little things until the kids started showing signs that they were running out of steam. Peter offered to put Audrey to bed while EJ said good night to his parents. As he tucked her in he couldn’t help but notice that she was snuggling with Ray’s Dopey Dog. The pooch was nearly threadbare from all the love she gave it, which brought a smile to Peter’s face.

       “Goodnight sweet pea,” he whispered, kissing her softly on the forehead. 

       “G’night Unca Petah…”

 

       Walter and Janine were in the living room waiting for him when he finished with Audrey. He spotted a bottle of wine and three glasses ready for them. He thought it was a grand idea because he had been wanting a drink for hours.

       “Cute kid,” he said as he sat on the sofa. “How’d she know who I was?”

       “Some kids get fairy tales when it’s bedtime. Mine get stories about you guys. It made it feel like you were still around,” Janine said. “She’s also incredibly curious. When she asks ‘why’ or ‘who’ she honestly wants to know. Photo albums are her favorite things.”

       “She’s going to be a fantastic Ghostbuster one day.”

       “Yes well I hope that’s a long long long way off. Knowing Audrey she’d charge right in without coming up with a plan first,” Walter said. “I think I’d handle her first boyfriend better than her first bust.”

       “Said like a true dad,” Peter chuckled. “Geez, I’m more than a little disturbed at how NOT disturbed I am by all this…”

       “When you think about it, this isn’t the craziest thing to have happen to you,” Janine pointed out. 

       “It’s in the top five, but yeah, we’ve been through worse.”

       “So...what happened?”

 

January 1988

 

       Ecto-1 flew past traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge, trying to catch up to the Class 7 that was flying ahead of them. 

       “Bastard is FAST,” Winston muttered to himself as he tried to dodge an 18-wheeler. 

       Behind him in the back seat Egon was taking PKE readings while trying to ignore the extreme danger they were in. 

       “He’s charging up!”

       In front of them a large ball of yellow light headed for them, but Winston was able to swerve out of the way. The ball hit the pavement, shaking the bridge. Thankfully most of the traffic behind them had disappeared since people knew if the Ghostbusters were chasing something it was better to be somewhere else. 

       “Any ideas guys?” Peter asked while trying to take pot shots at the thing through the window.

       “I’m coming up dry. Unless we get it to stand still we’re borked,” Ray grimaced.

       “Such language. No more Muppet Show for you, young man.”

       “CHARGING!!” Egon yelled. 

       Winston, for all his efforts, had nowhere to go this time. The ball hit them dead on. Ecto shot up and to the side in the air, flipped once, and landed on the guard rail of the bridge. It teetered for a moment before falling forward toward the East River. Inside the men all braced and screamed. However after about 30 seconds they realized that while they were still falling, they were doing it very slowly. They were all straining against their seat belts since gravity was still in effect. 

       “Uuuuh guys?” Winston asked as he looked out the window.

       “Hmm, interesting,”

       “Don’t ‘interesting’ me Spengs. Give me answers,” Peter demanded. 

       “It appears the Class 7 has temporal abilities and has trapped us in a contained field of…” Egon rolled his eyes when Peter glared at him. “We’re stuck in a time bubble.”

       “Ok, so what happens when we hit the water?” asked Winston. 

       “We crash and die, probably slowly.”

       “I really hate you sometimes Egon.”

       “Gee, thanks Peter.”

 

       Egon estimated they had about an hour before they hit the water. In that time he and Ray brainstormed a way to get out of the pickle they were in.

       “What if we just jump out?” Ray suggested.

       “We’d still be hitting the water at high velocity.”

       “We could wait until the last minute...”

       “That’s the ‘jump when the falling elevator is about to hit the floor’ theory. It doesn’t work.”  Egon said as he pulled at his seat belt, which refused to come undone. 

       “What’s wrong with this thing?” he grunted.

       “The emergency stop is locked because of the way we’re falling,” Winston supplied, glad he knew something that Egon didn’t. “Use the safety hammer Janine gave us.”

       Egon fumbled for the small orange hammer that was strapped to the back of the front seat. Once he got his hands on it, he made quick work slicing through the seat belt, however without it to hold him he fell forward. 

       “Watch it!” 

       “Sorry Peter.”

       Egon crawled into the very back where the packs and traps were kept. He grabbed a trap and started making adjustments to it.

       “Got something Iggy?” Ray asked as he freed himself from his seat belt. 

       “Maybe. If I can re-calibrate the traps, we can put ourselves in one. In theory it would protect us from the impact.”

       “Yeah! Those things can handle an atomic blast. A crash into the river would be nothing!” Ray said excitedly. He grabbed a second trap and followed Egon’s lead. 

       “How will we know if it worked?” Winston asked.

       Egon looked up at him for a moment before returning to his work. 

       “Oh…”

       “Don’t worry Winston. Either we make it and have one hell of a story to tell, or we don’t and...well then we don’t.”

       “Not comforting Peter.”

 

       A short time later all four traps were reconfigured. Egon suggested they go in with full gear so that 1) nothing else expensive would get damaged from the crash and 2) they’d be prepared for anything since they didn’t know where they’d end up. 

       “Now we just have to hope that someone finds the traps and lets us out,” Egon said.

       “Guys. It’s been a pleasure,” Ray said with a solemn look. 

       “Don’t be so melodramatic. Janine won’t give up looking for us.”

       Peter slid his eyes over to Egon as he said this. His friend nodded faintly. 

       “Agreed.”

 

       One by one they were pulled into a trap with Egon going last. He tried to secure them, but couldn’t find a safe place so he wedged them into the seats and hoped it was good enough. The inside of Ecto was quiet and calm for about five minutes as the full traps beeped. Then the car hit the water and the world exploded. 

 

March 1998

 

       Janine got up to pace when Peter finished his tale. She was pale but very calm. Walter watched her cautiously, but didn’t move from his chair. 

       “So you were in the traps this whole time,” she said, more to herself than to Peter. She kept pacing, moving faster and faster as her anger started to bubble up. “You were in the traps. The traps! THE FUCKING TRAPS!”

       Suddenly she grabbed the nearest thing, which was a clear flower vase on a low table, and flung it at the wall. It smashed spectacularly, sending shards of glass everywhere as the water and cut flowers fell to the ground. 

       “I spent YEARS trying to find a paranormal reason!! YEARS PETER!! I spent thousands of dollars on books and weeks upon weeks of taking readings at the river, talking to experts and idiots. I put Walter and my family through hell and YOU WERE IN THE TRAPS?!?! I could have found you with a fucking metal detector!!”

       Walter was a smart man. Quietly he got up and went to the kitchen. When he came back he was holding two small plastic cups filled with a brown liquid. He handed one to Janine who shot it back like it was water then crushed the cup with a satisfying crunch. He gave her the second cup, which was also downed and crushed. After the drinks she still paced and ranted, but the fire was beginning to die out. 

       “What did you give her?” Peter asked.

       “Scotch. It’s very mellowing, but I’ll have to deal with the fallout later.”

       “Fallout? Pretty sure we’re seeing that now.”

       “No I mean…” He paused, unsure if he should continue. 

       “I’m pregnant,” Janine blurted, hands on her hips as she shook her head in disbelief. 

       Peter stared at her for a moment, then turned his head to leer at Walter. 

       “Pecker you DOG you! Guess I can’t say you don’t have a dick anymore huh?”

       Walter gave him a bland look.

       “I’m fairly sure Audrey proves that I’m quite capable of producing children Venkman. Speaking of, I should check on her and EJ.”

       When they were alone Janine pounced on Peter, hauling him up by his shirt. It didn’t have the desired effect since Peter was a fair bit taller than her.

       “It didn’t occur to any of you to leave a fucking NOTE??” she hissed at him, still very angry and more than a little hurt. “Hey Janine, we’re in the damn traps. How about letting us out?”

       There were a million things he could have said or done in response. For once Peter skipped the cutting words and just gathered her into his arms. 

       “It didn’t. I’m sorry. We didn’t even know if it would work.” he said as he swayed back and forth like he was holding a child that refused to sleep. 

       Janine didn’t cry or shake or scream. Instead she took several deep breaths, inhaling the manly scent she had missed so much. She wanted to laugh at how much she loved the asshole.

       “Ok,” she muttered into his chest.

       “Ok? Ok what?”

       She pulled back to look him in the eye. 

       “Ok now we go find the rest of them so I can yell at them too.”

       Peter gave her a wolfish grin. 

       “Fair is fair after all.”


	8. Welcome Home Dr. Venkman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized after posting the last chapter that I didn’t say how Peter got out of his trap. Basically it was sheer stupid luck. Something hit the release pedal and freed him. Super anti-climatic I know.

****        Over the next few days Peter was pulled and pushed in every direction. First he met up with a team of lawyers so that he could be brought back to life in the eyes of the law. Then he went on a whirlwind tour of Ghostbusters Inc, starting with the men and women stationed at the Firehouse as well as the B Team in Fort Lee, NJ. He ate up the blatant hero worship from the crew (and even got numbers from of two of the ladies). Next was a drive by of all the properties GBI owned, from the apartment building behind the Firehouse to the numerous smaller businesses. Peter nearly jumped out of Janine’s car when he saw a Ghostbusters Store near Time Square. 

       “Tell me I’m getting royalties on this stuff.”

       “Technically you are,” Janine grinned as she drove. “But it’s held in trust at the moment. Once we get you among the living again you can have your money.”

       “Sooo how rich am I?”

       “It all depends on sales. Each of you get 20% of anything that’s a solo piece, so for a $10 shirt with just you on it, you get $2. If it has you and someone else, it’s an even split all the way to 5% for a group shot or a No-Ghost logo item.”

       “What kind of stuff to they sell?”

       “Oh just about everything. Shirts, key chains, book bags. Heck we even have swimsuits and winter coats.”

       “Mmm, when do the Janine bikinis arrive?” he said with a smirk.

       She grumbled for a moment, hands tightening on the steering wheel. 

       “I don’t really have any merchandise. The company that handles our products said that I’m not marketable,” she hissed. “Best you can do is an action figure that comes with the Firehouse playset.”

       “Does it come with a Peck doll too so you can play house?” Peter cooed at her.

       Janine whacked him on the shoulder. He rubbed it and gave her a mock wounded look.

       “Someone sure is riding the hormone wave.”

       “Venkman I swear I…”

       “Ok ok,” he laughed. “But really, how much am I worth?”

       “Well I don’t have the financial reports with me,” she said sarcastically, “but I know that the merch account was around $3 million last year. Add in your share of the business you could probably add another $6 mill, assuming you sold up and everything went at market value.”

       When she didn’t get a response she glanced over while she was at a red light.

       “Peter?”

       “Sorry, I’m basking in the glow of being rich.”

       “Just don’t drool on yourself,” she snorted. 

       They sat in comfortable silence for a while as Peter watched the city slide by. 

       “So much has changed. It feels like I’m seeing all this for the first time.”

       “A lot can change in ten years...” Janine hesitated before plowing forward. “Have you been able to get in touch with Dana and Oscar?”

       Peter kept watching the city. A weird song called ‘Tubthumping’ by Chumbawamba played in its entirety before he responded. 

       “Her number was disconnected. I tried to look her up but she wasn’t listed in the white pages.”

       Janine grimaced. “I’m sorry. I haven’t heard from her in ages. I don’t even know if she’s still in town.”

       “It’s alright. I wouldn’t expect her to wait around. We weren’t even ‘on’ when I disappeared.”

       She reached over and put a hand on his leg, keeping her eyes on the road. He put his hand over hers. They stayed like that until Janine pulled into the Firehouse parking lot. They both sat in the car after she shut it off, still holding hands. 

       “I feel a little lost…” he said quietly. “The world thinks I'm dead, Dana has disappeared...where do I fit in now?”

       “Where you always have Peter. With us.”

       He finally looked at her, nodding slightly. 

       “You’ve stuck with us through it all, haven’t you Red? God knows why…”

       “Because it’s where I belong. After you guys disappeared I was tempted to sell up and move away. Just being in the Firehouse was painful. I would have done anything to make the hurting stop. Walter convinced me not to, something I’m very grateful for.”

       Peter gave her a questioning look, but she cut him off before he could say something biting. 

       “You need to give him more credit. He’s just as invested in the Ghostbusters as we are, and not because I married him. He once told me that Egon and I share a destiny. I think it’s not just for him, but all of you. You’re my family Peter,” she said, her eyes shining with love and acceptance.

       “Get out.”

       “Wh...what?” She was shocked by his tone.

       “Get out of the car,” he said, slamming his door.

       Janine scrambled out, ready to do battle when Peter walked briskly around the car and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. 

       “You’re my family too,” he said softly. 

       Janine closed her eyes, holding onto him with everything she had. 

 

       By the next week Peter was officially declared alive by the local and federal government. The week after that he had been on nearly every talk show, morning show, news show, and late night show known to man. There wasn’t a person on the planet who didn’t know that Dr. Peter Venkman was back, which is just the way he liked it. 

       The Firehouse had been flooded with calls. Despite the fact that Peter had probably answered any and all possible questions on one show or another, everyone wanted to ask him something, particularly about the afterlife (which didn’t apply at all). It wasn’t until Janine made a special message on a separate answering machine that the calls became manageable again. 

 

       While all this was going on Janine had renewed her efforts to find the remaining Busters. Now that she knew what had happened, she could put a better plan into action. The first step was finding a way to locate the traps other than standard metal detection. She tapped employees across the chain to get ideas, even going so far as upping the reward she had always offered to anyone who could help bring them home. While she had a few incredibly intelligent people working for her, when it came to creativity there was a significant lack. Most of them just followed Egon and Ray’s blueprints and made improvements based on them. Very rarely was something new made. It frustrated her to no end, but she remained hopeful. The next step was offering a reward to the public for turning in any GB gear they might have found. While it didn’t get them any traps, someone did turn in a pair of broken Ecto-Goggles and a Giga-Meter, however neither one of them were associated with the missing equipment from the bridge crash. Peter’s gear was still missing, but they had a dive team for that.  

 

       “Lady do you even know how big the East River is?? And you want us to find three trap thingies that can’t be bigger than a bread box??”

       “Buddy I don’t care if you’re looking for Jimmy Hoffa’s pinkie finger. I’m paying you to look, so you’re going to LOOK. Understand??!!”

       Janine slammed the phone down, seething in anger. Walter discreetly poked his head around the corner. When her face came down a few shades from bright cherry red he decided it was safe to approach. 

       “Honey?”

       “WHAT??” she yelled, then closed her eyes when she realized who she was yelling at. “Sorry. I’m on edge. That stupid underwater team is acting like spoiled brats. What’s up?”

       Walter took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

       “Two things. One, you’re beautiful when you’re angry, especially when it’s not me your angry with…”

       She huffed, but blushed at the compliment.

       “And two, I think EJ is on to something. Come up to the lab.”

 

       Janine, and by extension Walter, had always encouraged EJ to act on whatever his brain came up with. From the time he learned to walk until he learned some self control it was a crap shoot. One day he would be improving the vacuum, the next day he would be using it to try and clean up the mess from the toaster explosion he caused. It kept his parents constantly on their toes, but Janine always said it was worth it.

       EJ was in Egon’s lab tinkering at a workbench when they walked in. When he heard them he quickly covered his project with a large cloth. 

       “Good afternoon,” EJ said in his best lecture voice. “I have a prototype I’d like to show you. Originally I considered expanding the PKE meter’s ability to look for bio-signals and modify it to have better range, however the meter doesn’t have the power to produce a wide enough broadcast to deal with the kind of search area we’d be working with. So I made a new device specifically for this.”

       He turned to his workbench and whipped off the cloth with a flourish. 

       “I call it The Bio-Spotter,” he said proudly. 

       It was a rather large device that was meant to be carried with two hands. The front was similar to a Dustbuster (Janine realized quickly that it WAS her Dustbuster), while the back was primarily a large screen almost identical to what was on the PKE meter used only bigger. When EJ held it he had to prop it against his stomach. 

       “I’m still working on making it easier to hold...but...um...it...it uses a small amount of DNA, like a hair follicle, and sends out a ...well...a ping of sorts...like sonar. When it hits identical DNA it pings back. Watch.”

       He put it back on the workbench, then pulled a small plastic baggie out of his pocket. Janine couldn’t tell what was inside before he put it in a small opening on the side of the Spotter. 

       “I asked Mr. Lewis from the bodega two blocks away for a nail clipping. If this works the way it should we should see him on the display.”

       He flipped a few switches to power on the Spotter. It made a loud whirring noise followed by a chugging. 

       “It’s sampling the DNA,” he called over the sound. 

       A piercing split second screech made Janine and Walter cover their ears. 

       “That’s the ping!” EJ said excitedly. “Next we should hear a ping back.”

       A lower, but no less loud, screech sounded a moment later. Then all noise stopped. Walter stuck a finger in his ear to try and clear the ringing while Janine looked a little dazed. EJ was no worse for wear as he stared at the display. 

       “There! See?? There it is!”

       A tiny yellow dot glowed on the screen. 

       “The first trace takes a bit but after that the search and return is almost instant, even if the target moves. Isn’t it neat??”

       Janine strode over and kissed her son on the forehead. 

       “It’s amazing EJ! Truly amazing!”

       “Agreed. You did a fantastic job,” Walter said. 

       EJ beamed happily. Janine’s heart did a little flip flop. 

_        “Oh Egon, just wait until you meet him! You’ll be so proud of our boy.” _ _   
_

       “It’s only my first try, but I’m going to see what I can do about the noise. Maybe a larger shell so I can put in dampening material…” 

       EJ turned away from them to study the Spotter. Janine recognized the ‘hard thinking’ look from years of experience so she motioned to Walter that they should go. Once in the hallway with the door closed she hugged her husband. 

       “I can’t believe he came up with something so fast! It's hard to remember he's only nine.”

       “Like father like son.” Walter said, holding her hand as they walked downstairs to the second floor. 

       “You know, one of the many things I love about you is that you’re never jealous.”

       He squeezed her hand.

       “I have no reason to be. EJ is a wonderful boy and he has an equally wonderful mother. I feel like I got the best of both worlds.”

       Janine stopped on the stairs, one step above Walter, so she could kiss him without having to get on her tiptoes. 

       “I think I did too,” she whispered. 

 

       May was just beginning when Peter announced that he wasn’t going to be a Ghostbuster again. If he was expecting a big reaction from Janine and Walter, he was sorely disappointed.

       “Yes? And?” she said as she sat at her desk, nail file in hand.

       “Well...I just thought…”

       “Janine and I assumed that you’d want to take on an...elder statesman role with the company,” Walter said slyly as he leaned against the front of Janine’s desk. “After all, you’re a bit long in the tooth to go on busts.”

       “We’re almost the same age you smarmy…”

       “Time out!” Janine called, “If anyone is going to fight here it’s going to be me. Now Peter, if you don’t want to be a Ghostbuster that’s fine. We have 12 fully trained associates ready to roll at a moment’s notice. What we don’t have an official spokesperson.”

       Walter gave her a funny look, which told Peter that she hadn’t run whatever she was thinking by him first. He smirked at Peck and gestured for Janine to continue. 

       “Walter handles our PR, but honestly he has too much on his plate. So you’re going to do it.”

       “And what is ‘it’ that I’m going to do?”

       “Schmooze important people, have press conferences when needed, be seen in public as a pillar of the community, you know...the shit you love doing.”

       “Hmm, I guess I could do that. Do I get a secretary? Maybe one with long legs and a fiery temper to tell me what a bad boy I’ve been?” 

       Peter leaned closer to Janine and made kissing noises at her. Walter quickly slapped him in the back of the head. 

       “Mine,” he said simply. 

       “You get a secretary and an office in the building next door, but I do the hiring. I won’t have some blonde bimbo mucking up our good name,” she said as she glared at Peter.

       “That’s fine. I’m good with a brunette bimbo too.”

       He was barely able to dodge the nail file Janine threw at him.

 

Christmas Morning 1998

 

       Walter stood in the doorway to the living room with a fresh mug of coffee and watched the chaos unfold. Janine was nested on the sofa with her swollen feet up as she watched her kids unwrap presents like demons. Peter was beside her, holding her hot chocolate since she was so round she could barely move without help. His girlfriend (and fellow Ghostbuster) Erica was on the floor with the kids making sure they didn’t go through their presents too fast or unwrap anything that didn’t belong to them. It was wonderfully messy, noisy, and perfect. He couldn’t describe how the scene made him feel inside. It was all he ever wanted in life...a job he enjoyed, a beautiful wife who loved him, and a house full of kids. Even having Venkman there couldn’t dampen the day, not that he really did that anymore. Over the past few months they developed first a civil working relationship, then something of a friendship. Janine had encouraged them, but it was Peter who made the first step when he offered to take a bust for Walter when they were short handed and Audrey was sick with the flu. Ever since then Walter made a point to look past Peter’s snappy comments and faux ‘I don’t give a crap’ attitude. Sometimes he wondered how things would have worked out if Peter hadn’t let his ego get in the way at their first meeting...not that Walter would openly acknowledge that his demeanor that day wasn’t very good either. 

       He was about to join the insanity when he saw Janine grab her baby belly and grimace. Walter quickly put his mug down and went to her side. 

       “Janine?”

       She groaned and leaned back, her face twisted up in pain. Peter also put down his cup, giving her his full attention. 

       “Mama? Is it time for my baby sister?” Audrey asked excitedly, the presents forgotten.

       “Water…” she huffed as little beads of sweat popped out on her forehead. 

       “I’ll get some,” Erica offered, jumping up and running to the kitchen. 

       Janine shook her head and reached for Walter and Peter at the same time to help her up. 

       “Water...broke…”

       The men shared a look, nodding at the same time. As soon as Janine was to her feet Peter dashed off to their bedroom to grab her hospital bag. 

       “Erica do you mind watching the kids?” Walter asked as he helped Janine slowly walk to the door. 

       “On it. Should I call the hospital?” 

       “Please. Dr. McCoy is her OB.”

       Erica disappeared back into the kitchen to make the call. EJ stood over to the side, holding his exuberant sister so she didn’t bum rush Janine. Her curly red hair bounced as she hopped up and down in place.

       “EJ I need you to take care of things till we get back, ok?” she huffed.

       “Of course Mom,” he said, pushing up his glasses. “Can I play my new video games?”

       “Yes, but if you play Mario Party let you sister play too.”

       He frowned, but agreed. Peter came back with Janine’s overnight bag, shoes, and her winter coat. 

       “I’ll go get the car and meet you at the door,” he said before dashing out. 

 

       Twenty minutes later they were piled into Ecto-4, siren blaring. 

       “Peter is that really necessary?” Walter asked from the back seat.

       “It’s working isn’t it?” he snarked. 

 

       Twelve hours later and Janine was still in labor. Her family and Walter’s had come and gone since then. Since it was Christmas and their third child, everyone pretty much agreed it was fine to go home and wait. Janine’s sister had picked up the kids so that Erica could go home as well since she had a shift the next day. That left Peter sitting alone in the waiting room. 

       He looked at his watch for the millionth time. The magazines were months old and the TV was busted. He was about to give in and buy an overpriced paperback novel from the gift shop when Walter walked in, grinning from ear to ear.

       “Well?” Peter asked eagerly.

       “It’s a girl! A beautiful baby girl!”

       Peter uncharacteristically pulled Walter into a hug. It only lasted a moment, but it was enough. Walter led him to the recovery room where Janine was waiting. Peter stopped just inside the door, awestruck. Despite hours of hard labor and pain, she looked like an angel as she held a little pink bundle in her arms. She was cooing at it, stroking her baby’s face with a single finger. Peter saw a tiny arm waving and his heart melted. There was something about Melnitz women…

       Walter stood on the other side of the bed, looking adoringly down at his wife and child. It was a serene moment and Peter wished he had a camera with him. What Janine had told him was right. This was his family.  

       As if she could hear his thoughts she looked up and smiled. 

       “Come say hi to your goddaughter.” 

       Peter quietly approached and looked at the little baby. 

       “Hey kiddo,” he said softly. “I’m your Uncle Peter.”

       A pair of deep blue eyes looked up into his. He was surprised at how much dark red hair the baby already had. Peter reached down and ran his pointer finger over the girl’s cheek. In response she yawned. 

       “She’s got the right idea,” Walter joked quietly. “I’ll get the nurse.”

       “So did you two finally decide on a name?” Peter asked while Walter got help to take his child to the nursery. 

       “We did. Mina Lesley. It’s for his mother and grandmother.”

       “Mina. That’s pretty.”

       “Almost as pretty as her,” Janine said, turning her attention back to the baby. “Do you want to hold her?”

       Peter didn’t answer, instead he leaned over and held his hands out. Janine gently placed Mina in his arms. He held her to his chest, swaying slightly, as she opened and closed her eyes, clearly fighting sleep. Peter glanced up at Janine, about to make a comment, when he saw that she was sleeping sitting up, a smile on her face. He held Mina until Walter got back. The nurse with him expertly took the baby from him and carried her off to the nursery. 

       “Cute kid you’ve got,” Peter said while Walter woke Janine up just enough to get her to lie down. 

       “Yeah,” he agreed grinning. “Honey? Peter and I are going to head home, ok?”

       Janine nodded groggily, reaching up to touch his face. 

       “Let’s make number four when I get home…” she mumbled, quickly drifting off. 

       Walter chuckled and kissed his slumbering wife, then headed out the door with Peter. The scientist slapped his shoulder in a friendly way. 

       “How about dinner first? On me.”

       “Deal.”


	9. A Box with a Surprise Inside

September 2006

 

       “Girls! If I don’t see faces by this door in 5 seconds no one is going to Coney Island tomorrow!” Janine yelled. 

       Audrey and Mina appeared like magic at the front door, jackets on and book bags in hand. Janine gave them their lunches (pb&j in a Ghostbusters lunch box for Audrey and cheese only with the crust cut off in a Barbie lunch box for Mina). 

       “Walter do you have BB?”

       “We’re almost ready. I’ll meet you downstairs,” he called from the back bedroom.

       Janine hustled the girls out and into the elevator. As it dinged its way down Janine chatted with her girls about the school day. They made it to the lobby of their apartment building just as the school bus pulled up. With the skill of a woman who had done it a thousand times, she got her kids on the bus in record time, waving as it pulled away. She had a few minutes to herself while she waited for her husband to come down with BB. She turned when she heard the elevator chime. Walter, holding their son’s hand, walked out. When he looked up and smiled at Janine her heart fluttered. 

_        “Married sixteen years and he still makes me feel like a teenager.” _  she thought, returning his smile. 

       He gave her a quick kiss, then bent down to hug his son good-bye.

       “I’ll see you later, ok?”

       “Yup!” said the little boy cheerily. “Bye!”

       Walter kissed his wife again, and headed down the block to the Firehouse. 

       “Come on BB. Let’s walk to school,” Janine said as she took his hand and crossed the street.. 

       “I like school. I get to color and Ms. Aster says I’m the best reader in the class!”

 

       When Janine got back from dropping off BB she went straight to the Firehouse. 

       “I’m back!” she called when she walked in. 

       She heard Walter talking to someone in his office, so she went to her desk to get started on the day’s paperwork. Just as the computer booted up Walter came over to her desk. 

       “Mrs. Peck, could I see you in my office please?”

       Janine was immediately concerned because of his formal tone. She obediently followed him around the filing cabinets and saw a man sitting in one of the guest chairs. On the desk in front of him was a mud encrusted Mark 2 ghost trap. Suddenly it felt like the air in her lungs had turned to oil. It was hard to breathe but she kept moving forward, running on instinct. 

       “Mrs. Peck this is Michael Martin. He’s come in to claim the reward for finding old equipment.”

       Janine’s body turned to him but her eyes didn’t leave the trap. A voice in her head reminding her over and over again to breathe. She offhandedly noticed that he was a short older man with salt and pepper hair. His face was kind but it was worn with work and age. 

       “Thank you for helping us Mr. Martin. Where did you find it?” she said, still staring. 

       “I work for the city in sewer maintenance. It was lodged in a drainage pipe an’ created a big ol’ clog. I fished it out. Almos’ didn’ know what it was still I saw the ‘Bustahs logo etched on it. Though’ I might come down ‘ere and see if that reward was still good.”

       “It is,” Walter answered for her. “Mrs. Peck, I’ve already taken care of the paperwork. If you’ll just co-sign the check for Mr. Martin…”

       She moved like she was in a trance, signing her name without really thinking about it. The gentleman took the check, commenting that he would keep an eye out for more if the reward amount was always so good. As he was leaving through the front door, Peter rushed in.

       “Janine? Walter?!”

       “Back here,” Walter called. 

       When Peter got to the swinging door he stopped, eyes fixed on the trap just like Janine. 

       “Is it…?”

       “It’s the right model and age. He found it down river from the bridge.”

       “The pedal cable is missing.”

       Janine snapped out of her walking coma. She reached for the box, turning it this way and that frantically. Chunks of dried mud flaked off as she rubbed her hands over it.

       “Shit shit shit! Can we swap them out? Do we have something that will work?”

       “I...I don’t know. This was always Ray and Egon’s thing. Can we stick a screwdriver in it?”

       “Walter call Penny…”

       “She’s in Dallas doing their refit, remember?” 

       “Fuck.” Janine paced, the trap still in her hands. Stopping suddenly she turned to her husband. “Call EJ.”

       “He’s in class right now. We can’t…”

       “You know damn well he’s smart enough to teach those classes. Stupid standard requirements. He can miss a day.” 

       Walter sighed in displeasure but picked up the phone to call EJ’s cell. Peter walked over to Janine and put his hands on her shoulders. 

       “Deep breaths Red. Stop cussing like a sailor and put on a party hat. We’re getting a guy back.”

       Janine let out a sharp laugh and nodded. 

 

       “This will be easy to fix,” EJ said as he turned the trap over in his hands. “I want to take readings too so I can make adjustments to my Spotter.”

       After Walter’s call EJ happily ditched his Computers 101 class and took a cab to the Firehouse. It only took him a few minutes to evaluate the trap, much to everyone’s relief. He headed upstairs to his lab to get started, leaving the three adults downstairs. 

       “I can’t believe it. One more boy is coming home,” Janine sighed, sinking down into her desk chair. 

       “I hope EJ doesn’t take too long scanning the thing. I want to get this shindig going,” Peter joked in an attempt to ease the tension in the room.

       Janine sighed, her leg shaking in an effort to get rid of nervous energy. Walter put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. 

       “Sorry,” she said, not looking up. “I just can’t sit still.”

       “You know...if you need a distraction you two could try for number five.”

       Walter smirked at Peter while Janine rolled her eyes. 

       “You just want another kid to play uncle with.”

       “You got me there Wally. You two do pop out some adorable children.”

       “Mom?”

       Janine bolted up when she heard EJ calling down the fire pole from the third floor. 

       “Yes sweetie?”

       “It’s ready.”

 

       EJ sat at his workbench making final adjustments when his parents and Peter walked in. They didn’t speak, instead just watching him. 

       “I think it would be better if Mom and Dad waited outside when we open the trap. Whoever is in there is going to have enough of a shock when they come out. Seeing them too soon could make it worse,” he said without looking up. “Uncle Peter should stay since he looks almost the same.”

       Janine’s face fell, but she agreed. After all Peter had been in a trap for a decade while they had been hit by time. Walter guided her out, telling EJ that they’d be right outside the door. 

       “I’m going to be off to the side taking readings. Can I assume you’ll make first contact?”

       “You sound like Spengs more and more each day.”

       EJ nodded, a small smile on his face, and got in position. Peter stepped forward and hit the pedal. The room was flooded with brilliant white light while a small breeze scattered a few papers around. Peter shielded his eyes, turning away until the light died away. Before he could turn back around he heard a loud whooping sound. 

       “Alright Egon! Never doubted you for a second man!”

       Peter grinned and walked over to the newly returned Ghostbuster. 

       “Welcome back to the land of the living Winston.”

       “Hey Pete! Where’s Ray and Egon? I owe that man a drink,” he said, looking around. “Egon! Wait...when did you get new glasses...and a face lift? Hang on…” 

       Winston’s face went from elation to confusion when he saw the young man. Peter put a steady hand on Winston’s shoulder, directing his attention from EJ who suddenly looked like he wanted to melt into the shadows. 

       “Have a seat Zed. We need to talk.”

 

       After what felt like an eternity Peter opened the lab door to let Janine and Walter in. She unconsciously reached for her husband’s hand for support. Winston was sitting on the sofa with a baffled and heartbroken look. When his eyes met Janine’s there was a flicker of sorrow, but he put on a brave Marine face for her as he got up to give her a bear hug. 

       “Hey Janine. Looking good for a mama. Still got them legs.”

       She blushed prettily. 

       “Thanks Winston. You can’t know how happy I am to see you.”

       “Pete said it’s been nearly 20 years,” he said. “Other than a little gray hair I’d never know it from looking at you.” 

       His attention moved to Walter. Winston gave him a calculating look, as if to question if what he was seeing was real, particularly how he hovered over Janine. Finally he held a hand out to Walter.

       “I’m glad you were here to help us out,” Winston said as they shook hands. 

       “I’m just sorry we couldn’t find you sooner.”

       “It’s alright. At least I’m not fish food at the bottom of a river.” He winced when he saw the look on Janine’s face. “I’m sorry.”

       “Don’t worry about it. So...ah, you’ve met EJ…”

       Winston looked over at the boy who had been trying to stay out of sight while using every gadget to record the energy in the room. He was so much like Egon it was unnerving. EJ hadn’t said a word the entire time Peter was giving Winston the cliffs notes of what had happened over the past 19 years. Now he tried to look like he wasn’t paying attention while hanging on every word they said. 

       “Yeah. Gave me a little shock seeing him.”

       “I apologize,” EJ said, adjusting his glasses. “I should have realized the resemblance to my father would have been...unsettling.”

       “No problem. It just took a bit to sink in. Last I knew Janine and Egon were still acting like David and Maddie from Moonlighting. Times change.”

       Janine wasn’t sure how to read Winston’s body language. It seemed hostile but that wasn’t like the man she knew. She couldn’t blame him for being upset. He had lost almost 20 years in a blink of an eye. Being a Ghostbuster meant dealing with the strange and unusual but there was only so much a person could take. 

       “So now what?”

       Winston’s question broke into Janine’s thoughts. 

       “Well, you’ll need to meet with the lawyers to have you legally declared alive again, and then the accountant so we can sign over your trust.”

       “Trust?”

       “I’ll fill you in later big guy,” Peter said. “Let’s just say you’re set for a really really nice retirement.”

       “Uh...ok...man this is all just so...weird.”

       Downstairs the phone rang. After a moment the phones upstairs started ringing. Janine picked up, shifting easily into work mode. 

       “Ghostbusters...” 

       “Hungry? There’s a good steak place just down the block. Let’s take a walk and let these nice people get to doing what they do,” Peter said genially. 

       “Sure, but can I change first? Wait, do I even have any clothes here anymore?”

       “Probably not, but you’re rich now. We can go shopping.”

 

       Later that night Janine and Walter were lying in bed. She was just drifting off when he said, “Are you upset that it wasn’t Egon?”

       She sat up and clicked on the bedside lamp, then turned to him, irritation in her eyes.

       “I thought we already had this conversation.”

       He fixed his gaze on the ceiling, saying nothing.

       “Ok yes, I am upset that it wasn’t Egon, but not for the reason you think,” she said, leaning forward to wrap her arms around her knees. “I want EJ to know his father...you’ll always be his Dad, but he’s had to live with the legend of Egon without even meeting the man he’s constantly compared to. I wish he hadn’t gone to Columbia. He told me that one of his teachers called him out on the first day as ‘the son of the great Dr. Egon Spengler’ and went on about how he had big shoes to fill and some other bullshit. That’s not fair. EJ is his own person. I know he’s still beating himself up over his Spotter not working on the traps. He probably thinks that Egon would have figured it out in days and found everyone already since that’s how people talk about him. The Great and Powerful Spengler.”

       She felt Walter’s hand on her back. His touch was soothing and warm. 

       “At least I know that we’ve given him a good family life. Peter told me about how things were for Egon...the lack of love and affection, how sheltered he was. It explains why he was always so hesitant to respond to me. I don’t blame him, I never could. It doesn’t help that I can be kind of pushy sometimes…”

       Walter snorted, still rubbing her back.

       “Ok, a lot of the time, smartass,” she said with a smile, then maneuvered herself around so she was straddling him. “I just...I worry.”

       “You’re allowed to worry,” he said, his hands settling on her hips. “It’s what makes you a good mother.”

       Janine smoothly pulled her night shirt off and tossed it to the floor. She leaned forward, purring when their bare skin made contact. Walter’s hands slid to her ass, cupping it easily with his long fingers.

       “If that’s what makes me a good mother, what makes me a good wife?” she smirked.

       “Let me show you...”

 

       Several days had passed when Winston joined the Peck Clan for dinner. It was a boisterous noisy affair that left little room for real conversation. Between three adults and four kids between the ages of 18 and 6 the room was chaos. Winston cherished every moment. 

       “So let me make sure I have this right...she’s Mina, she’s Audrey, and you’re BB?” Winston asked the little boy beside him. 

       “Uh huh!” he said around a mouthful of chicken fingers. 

       Winston was still having trouble accepting that not only had Janine married Walter ‘I will make your life hell’ Peck, but she had three children with him. One thing he had no doubt about was how much love there was in the room. The kids were rowdy (even EJ surprisingly) but it was the kind brought by excitement of a new guest and not from bad behavior. They all used their napkins, said ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, and minded their parents. EJ and Audrey were ‘fighting’ over what method was best for expanding the containment unit. Mina was trying to keep her mother’s attention with a story about school. However every sentence started with ‘and then’, making it hard to listen to. BB was sitting quietly (comparatively), burning through his chicken and fries. 

       “Why do they call you BB?”

       Mina piped up before the little boy could answer. 

       “His real name is Walter Jr but when he was a baby he sounded like he was beat-boxing so mama started calling him her beat-boxing baby, right mama?” she chirped. 

       “Yes sweetie, but Winston asked BB,” Janine chided gently.

       “Oh! Sorry BB!” Mina said, not sounding at all apologetic. 

       “S’ok. Uncle Winston, are you going to be a Ghostbuster again?” BB asked innocently.

       All of the kids eyes turned to him. He took a long drink of water before responding.

       “Well I’m not sure yet...”

       “Why not?!” Audrey exclaimed. “You’re an original member! You need to be on the team! There’s always a ghost to bust or a mystery to solve. Being a Ghostbuster is so exciting!”

       “That’s enough Audrey,” Walter said.

       “But Dad!”

       Walter gave his daughter a stern look, effectively silencing her. She didn’t pout but Winston could tell she wanted to. He snuck her a wink and she brightened up immediately.

       “I’m sorry Winston. Audrey is...enthusiastic about the paranormal. I’d swear I was listening to Ray sometimes,” he said.

       “No problem. If people didn’t get excited about things then nothing new would happen,” Winston said.

       “Uncle Peter has told us stories about when you guys started. Do you have any interesting stories?” EJ asked casually.

       Once again Winston was in the spotlight, giving him a feeling he knew was going to magnify when the world found out he was back. 

       “Well...um...there was this one time when a chocolate factory was haunted by these three ugly baddies…”

 

       It took about a week for Winston to make his decision about if he should stay or go, and the answer was go. He declined the PR world tour that Peter had gone on, preferring to keep his return as low key as possible, and was happy to take the 19 years of back pay and merchandise royalties so he could make a new life for himself. 

       “Are you sure you don’t want to stay?” Peter asked as Janine handed over the check. “We always need good men.”

       “Yeah, I’m ready. I’ll keep in touch.” 

       “You promise?” 

       “I promise,” he said with a smile, shaking Peter’s hand and hugging Janine. “Take care.”

       She leaned against Peter as they watched him walk out of the Firehouse. 

       “I know we’ll see him again, but it’s so sad to watch him leave.”

       “I’m with you there Red.”

       “You’re sad? Really?” she asked with more than a little doubt in her voice.

       “Well yeah. You didn’t yell at him at all!”

       Janine gave his shoulder a playful slap. He laughed and grabbed her in a one armed hug. 

       “I can’t get mad at Winston. He was the only one who had any common sense out of you bozos.”

       “I resent that! I haven’t worn clown makeup since high school,” Peter joked, then quickly sobered. “Two down, two to go.”

       “Yeah…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story Winston is telling the kids is from Ghosts R Us (s1 e1 of RGB)


	10. Look Homeward

June 2026

 

       Mina, the black sheep of the family, sat at the reception desk reading a book on her holo-tablet while fielding the occasional call. It was a pointless since everything was automated, and the Firehouse wasn’t in use anymore for busts. Basically her job was to keep an eye on the containment unit, answer the one phone call per day, and stay out of trouble. Mina wasn’t a bad kid (if 28 could still be considered a kid), but she couldn’t find her niche like the rest of her family. She could repair a pair of Ecto-Goggles, but she couldn’t create things like EJ did. She was able to handle a thrower and land a trap close to where it was needed, but she wasn’t a natural Buster like Audrey. She was quick on the computer, but BB was a genius researcher with a photographic memory. Compared to the rest of her family she felt like a Jill of all trades, mistress of none, so she didn’t want to do any of it. Why bother? No one had ever said ‘why can’t you be like [insert name here]’, but they didn’t have to. She felt it, and that’s why she was fine with sitting on her butt reading books all day while the rest of the Peck Clan did whatever it was they did above her head. 

       She was about to scrounge up some lunch when someone knocked on the front door. Mina rolled her eyes and got up to answer it. They were on the third knock by the time she got there. Outside was a good looking young woman in a cop’s uniform. A few feet away her cruiser was parked at the curb. Mina gave her a once over, eyes gleaming with mischief at the pretty lady. 

       “Dropping off or picking up?”

       “Dropping off.”

       “Shame. I was hoping you were here for me.”

       The officer blushed a bit, making Mina grin even more. 

       “Uh, we found this gentleman wandering around by the ferry docks. He says he’s one of yours but I didn’t see him on the active register.”

       She opened the back door of her cruiser so he could get out. Mina’s jaw dropped when she saw the muck-covered man. Hardly a spot on him was clean, but he had a smile on his face that made it seem like he’d won the Mega Millions. 

       “Yeah, he’s one of ours,” Mina stammered. “Do I need to sign anything or...something?”

       “No, but I have this for you.”

       The officer handed Mina a business card with her name, precinct, and a handwritten cell phone number. When Mina saw the number she gave the cop a sassy grin. The woman winked in reply as she got in her cruiser. 

       “She was really nice. Pretty too!” 

       Mina looked up at the tall man and gave him a once-over. He matched the pictures she’d seen and had the demeanor her mother often talked about.

       “Dr. Stantz I presume?”

       “Yes! Do I know you? Oh, well probably not since I’m in the future...well my future, not your future.”

       “Uh huh...why don’t you come inside. You can get cleaned up and meet the crew.”

       “Great! I’m starting to feel kinda gross. Do you have a spare jumpsuit by chance?”

       “I’ll find something for you,” Mina said as she led him inside the Firehouse. 

       She guided him over to a workbench that used to store spare parts of the Ecto. It took a few minutes to get Ray out of his proton pack because the mud had effectively bonded the fabric straps to his suit. 

       “Geez, how did you even do this?”

       “I woke up in about a foot of mud down by the docks, and when I tried to get out I slipped. I always seem to be the messiest. So...um...I have a bunch of questions…”

       “I know you do, but I think it would be best if I let the others answer them for you. Do you mind waiting a little bit?”

       He shrugged so she dashed off to dig a jumpsuit out of one of the lockers. It smelled a little musty from being in storage, but it had his name tag still on it. She was grateful her mother insisted on keeping things the way they were before. Ray took it and headed to the bathroom to clean up. While he was gone Mina wondered how she should break the news to her family. Call Uncle Peter first? Mom? Her gaze moved to the desk and gave her the answer she needed. A wicked smile bloomed on her face. 

       “That’s better,” said Ray as he left the bathroom. There was still muck in his hair and in patches on his face, but he was loads cleaner than before. 

       “Cool. Ready to surprise everyone?”

       “Let’s do it,” he grinned.

       Mina whooped with glee and slammed her hand down on the alarm button. Instantly the Firehouse was alive with the shrill sound of the old school alert. Moments later a female figure came sliding down the pole from the third floor. 

       “Mina?! What’s going on??”

       The younger sister pointed to a spot behind the new arrival. When she turned Ray swore everything moved in slow motion. The woman’s deep red curly hair swirled around her face like a million perfect shampoo commercials. Her eyes, a sparkling green, reminded him of sea glass and chemical experiments. When she smiled at him he felt it from the tips of his hair to his toes, as well as in a very particular place right in the middle. Later Ray would swear he heard ‘Dreamweaver’ playing in the distance. 

       The woman squealed in delight and time resumed normal speed. She flung herself at him, looping her arms around his neck to give him a choking hug while hopping up and down in excitement. It had a very primal affect on Ray, who had to pry her off before she noticed his reaction. She didn’t seem to mind because she was still smiling broadly. 

       “You’re here! I can’t believe you’re finally here!”

       Before he could say anything the woman covered his face in kisses, finishing with a giant smack right on the lips. Ray blushed like a kid and tried to find something to say when more people arrived from upstairs. 

       “Why is the alarm going off?”

       Ray looked up and saw an older couple followed by a man in glasses and a lab coat.

       “Iggy?”

       The man stopped his decent for a moment, but Ray didn’t notice because his brain clicked back on, telling him who the couple was.

       “Janine? Peck??”

       He couldn’t believe this was the Janine he knew walking toward him. She appeared to be in her mid-60’s but aging beautifully, and light on her feet. There were lines around her eyes and mouth when she smiled, but it only added to her looks. Ray stumbled a bit when he walked to her, hands out to grab her in a hug, but hesitated. Janine, having none of that ‘you’re old’ BS, grabbed him tightly, then pulled back to give him a big kiss. 

       “Welcome home Ray!”

       “Gosh,” he stammered, blushing. “If this is the hello I get I should leave more often!”

       “Don’t you dare!” she said, hugging him again. “We’ve missed you so much!”

       Walter stepped forward and shook Ray’s hand. 

       “Glad to have you home Ray. Before we get you caught up let me introduce everyone,” he said, waving at the collection of strangers in front of him. “You’ve apparently already met Mina. This is BB our youngest, and the excited one is Audrey.”

       She sprung forward, grabbing his hand and shaking it up and down enthusiastically.  

       “I’ve read all of your papers and the notes you had here and just about everything you’ve ever done or said and it’s so so so COOL to finally meet you! I have so many questions! Like, your idea on teleportation versus containment. I had some ideas…”

       “Audrey…” Walter cautioned with his best Dad voice. 

       “Sorry! Sorry, I get pumped up easily. We’ll talk later,” she said, bouncing on the balls of her feet as if she would explode if she stopped moving. 

       “And lastly, this is EJ, our resident engineer and tech guru,” Walter said as he put a hand on EJ’s shoulder. 

       “Sorry about earlier. You just really look like Egon!” Ray said while shaking EJ’s hand.

       “It’s ok. I get it a lot.”

       Ray kept shaking hands and looking at EJ as if he was a walking puzzle. Finally he had an ‘ah ha!’ look on his face, but before he could say anything Janine and Walter whisked him upstairs for privacy. 

       “Mina, can you call Winston and Peter please?” Janine called as they ascended. 

       “On it. Can I order lunch too?”

       Since she didn’t hear a no from her mother (who was probably too far away to hear), she made it a yes in her mind. As she dialed Peter she rolled her eyes at Audrey, who was nearly delirious with joy. 

       “I can’t believe it! He’s here! I can’t wait to pick his brain. And he’s so handsome!”

       “Wow, Audrey the man hater is gone over a guy more than twice her age,” BB joked, earning him a smack on the arm. 

       “He’s been in stasis so it doesn’t count, and I’m not a man hater! I’m just...particular.”

       “Uh huh,” BB grumped as he rubbed his arm. 

       While her siblings snipped at each other, Mina watched EJ. He had walked over to the workbench where Ray’s pack sat making a mess. Never one to turn away from a project, he was already dismantling it for cleaning. 

       “Hey bro. You ok?”

       “Fine,” he said, not looking up. 

       “Don’t pull that girly shit with me.”

       EJ sighed, still not looking at her, but stopped working on the pack. 

       “I’m...alright. I knew it wasn’t going to be father, but every time one of them shows up it’s like my insides get wrecked. They always think I’m him. It’s...hard.”

       Mina slid her arms around him, forcing him into a hug. 

       “It’s not fair, but you’ll always have us.”

       He sighed again and hugged her back. 

 

       “So I’ve been gone for 38 years? Wow! That’s incredible! So much has changed. I almost can’t get my head around it. I can’t wait to get out there and see what’s new!”

       Ray’s youthful excitement was contagious. He paced about the room as he talked non-stop. Janine and Walter watched from the sofa and let him go on since so far he had been the only one to take the sudden time jump well. 

       “There’s some paperwork to do, but since this is the third time this has happened it’s gotten a lot easier to be reinstated. We have an apartment ready for you next door. Audrey had an itch to get one one prepped a few days ago. Now we see why,” Walter joked. 

       “She’s very beautiful,” Ray said offhandedly, blushing immediately after. “Sorry! I shouldn’t think like that. I’m old enough to be her dad.”

       Janine grinned and decided to put Ray at ease. 

       “It’s alright Ray. She is beautiful, and incredibly smart. She also has a crush on you.”

       Ray stopped in his tracks and whipped around to look at Janine with a bright grin.

       “Really? Gosh! But...but I’m old!”

       “Realistically speaking you’re about the same age.”

       “But she’s your daughter!”

       “Which makes things easier because I already give my blessing for you two to date.”

       “Well now Janine I don’t think…”

       “Shush Walter. I know Audrey and I know Ray. They’re two peas in a pod. She’ll be in good hands with Ray,” Janine said as she got off the sofa to stand by her friend. “Besides, Audrey probably already has a plot in mind to get him alone. It’s better Ray is prepared for the inevitable.”

       Walter couldn’t argue that. Audrey had a way about her and Ray wouldn’t be able to resist once she made up her mind. 

       “Well, thanks. I think? So, by the way, where’s Ecto?”

       Janine and her husband traded a look that had Ray’s stomach churning. 

 

       Mina pulled the rusty shed door open and peered into the darkness. No one had gone into the thing in probably decades since all it held was the neglected shell of the Ghostbusters’ first car. It sat in the far corner of the lot behind the Firehouse and probably would have stayed closed if it wasn’t for Ray’s insistence on seeing his baby. 

       “Aw man...aw man! She’s a wreck! Didn’t anyone try to fix her?” he asked despondently. 

       “I guess they had other stuff on their minds at the time.” Mina said as she walked around the hulking beast. “Can this even be fixed?”

       “Yeah, but it’s going to take a lot of time and money.”

       “Well you’ve got both now.”

       He looked thoughtful for a moment as he ran his hands over the flaking paint on the roof. Ray never backed down from a challenge, and restoring Ecto to prime condition would be exactly that. 

       “This place is too small to do it here. I could buy a garage. I’ll need tools...and a sand blaster...I wonder if I can still get parts...is Garvey’s junkyard still around?”

       Mina could tell he was talking to himself and not to her, so she continued to poke around Ecto. The thing was interesting to her in a way that was unexpected. She’d seen pictures of it when it was still in use. Mina used to think it was a waste. It was big, loud, and guzzled gas like it was water, but now she had an odd fondness for it.

       “You’ll need to put in a different fuel system. Gas isn’t really a thing anymore. You can put in a hydrogen converter. Electric is a possibility but you’d have to recharge it pretty often because of the weight.”

       “Sounds like you know a thing or two about cars.”

       “Nah, I just have a lot of time to read.”

       “Willing to swap out a book for a wrench?”

       Mina stopped her slow circles around Ecto and gave it serious consideration. It would get her out of the Firehouse and give her something real to do. Plus the idea of fixing something most people would have gotten rid of was intriguing. 

       “Yeah...yeah I think I could do that…”

 

       When Mina and Ray walked back into the Firehouse they found Peter and Winston waiting. It was a flurry of hugs and back slaps as the guys reunited. There were the usual fake insults about if they were members of AARP, followed by bragging stories about what they’ve been doing since that fateful day on the bridge. Janine sat at reception and watched them, happy to stay out of the center of things. Ray wouldn’t have any trouble adapting to the world, and she was sure Audrey would be with him every step of the way. 

       She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Ray ask about Egon. She didn’t need to look at Peter and Winston’s faces to know they were sorry he had asked. 

       “We’re still lookin’ man. He’s out there and we’ll find him,” Winston said, shooting a quick glance at Janine. 

       “Sign me up for the hunt. Gotta get the old gang back together, right?” Ray asked with more than a little false cheer. 

       Janine stood as Peter walked over to her, knowing that a much-needed hug was coming. 

       “Three down, one to go...right?”

       “You know it Red,” he said, holding her as close as he could. “You damn well know it.”

       “But when?” Janine asked, her voice breaking from the tears she didn’t try to hide. 

       Peter held her helplessly. Silently more arms surrounded them as Ray and Winston joined the hug. She would have laughed if her heart didn’t hurt so much. 

 

       Several days later Walter and Janine were sitting together on the sofa at home enjoying a quiet evening with good books to entertain them. Now that the ‘kids’ were all grown up and out of the house they had more time to spend together. Walter had decided that he wanted to woo his wife all over again. Janine was treated to wonderful dinners (both home cooked and on the town), plays, operas, gallery openings, the works. He was determined to show her the world through the eyes of New York. This evening however Janine had insisted on staying in. Walter had learned years ago that when she insisted on something it was a good idea to listen. The last time he had pushed the issue they ended up getting stuck in a traffic jam of epic levels. It took them two hours to get three blocks, so if Janine said stay in, they stayed in. 

       “This is nice,” she said. 

       “Mmm.”

       “Thank you for cooking dinner.”

       “Mmmhmm.”

       She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, curious and suspicious at how silent he was. No matter how good a book was, he always gave her his full attention. 

       “There’s a spider in your hair.”

       “Uh huh,” he said, flipping the page. 

       Janine’s eyes went back to the book, but her mind was on her man. Because she was just distracted enough, she didn’t notice Walter’s hand creeping up until it latched on to a particularly ticklish spot just under her rib cage. 

       “Walter!” she squealed in delight and fake outrage.

       Her book went flying as he pounced. For the next few intense minutes they wrestled on the sofa, each trying to get the upper hand in their tickle battle. Walter submitted first, which Janine was grateful for since she was panting and a little dizzy. She shouldn’t stop herself from giggling however. 

       “I love you,” she said breathlessly. 

       Walter picked up her hand and kissed each knuckle in turn, smiling up at her as he did. 

       “I love you too.”

       Janine blushed and curled up close to him, both of them still breathing heavily. Moments like these were few and precious because of the life they had, but she wouldn’t change a thing. Outside there was a rumble of thunder which caught their attention. 

       “You called it Mrs. Peck.”

       “Mmm.”

       “Good thing we didn’t go out tonight.”

       “Mmmhmm.”

       Walter smirked. His wife was sneaky, but not THAT sneaky. Normally he would play along, but tonight he felt...frisky. Carefully he extracted himself from his wife to get up and walk over to the entertainment center. While he spun through his playlists he idly said,

       “Did I ever tell you that thunderstorms turn me on?”

       “Really?” she asked with a touch of disbelief. “I would think that’s something you would have mentioned sooner.”

       “It’s true,” he said, finally finding the song he was looking for. 

       Janine recognized the tune within the first few beats. Her husband’s love for Prince was well known but it gave her a little surprise every time because it was so un-Walter-like. He swept her into his arms and started dancing with her. She giggled as he sang along to the lyrics as they swayed. It was adorable how he would act when it was just the two of them. He was always affectionate, but when they were alone he was a different man. 

       “Thunder drowns out what the lightning sees and you feel like a movie star. They say the first time ain’t the greatest but if I had the chance I’d do it all again,” he crooned, moving his hips against her in time to the beat. “I wouldn’t change a stroke cause baby I’m the most with a girl as fine as you are now.”

       “That’s not how the song goes,” she teased.

       “I wouldn’t deign to insult my beautiful wife, especially when I want to get into her panties.” 

       He wiggled his eyebrows at her comically. Janine couldn’t help but laugh at him again. 

       “And what would happen if you found out that I wasn’t wearing panties?”

       “Are you wearing panties Mrs. Peck?” he asked, his voice going just a little deeper.

       “No Mr. Peck, I’m not.”

       She didn’t realize that he had maneuvered them back to the sofa until her calves hit the front of it. Janine fell back onto the cushions, pulling a chuckling Walter down on top of her. They kissed languidly as the thunder rumbled outside, their hands wandering slowly. Time meant nothing tonight for they had each other. As the rain pattered on the window they whispered sweet things to one another, each hoping that this perfect moment never ended. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter left...


	11. Hello and Goodbye

Late November 2055

 

       Christmas was in full swing outside. The Firehouse was decked out in splendid regalia for the upswing in tourists that would visit over the holidays. It seemed that ever since the Great Rift in 2030 no visit to New York was complete without seeing where the heroes of the world worked. It didn’t matter that the station hadn’t housed an active Ghostbusters team in decades or that the vast majority of the people involved were from the Jersey and Chicago franchises (including ‘I’m getting too old for this shit’ legend Maddie Rook and Ron Alexander). To everyone New York was the place to go to see the men and women who saved all of humanity. 

       It was already well into the evening when BB ran into the apartment building with his precious bundle. He waited impatiently for the elevator to arrive, his foot tapping like a man with a full bladder. Finally the carriage arrived to take him upstairs to his parents’ apartment. 

       “Come on stupid thing. Move,” he hissed as the floors slowly ticked away. 

       The doors were barely open when he pushed through and ran down the hallway. He knew the door wasn’t locked so he barreled through, stopping only when he saw Audrey and Ray sitting on the sofa in the living room, holding hands and talking softly. They both jumped to their feet when they saw him.

       “Do you have it?” Audrey asked quietly. 

       BB handed her the box. She held it for a moment like it contained the Holy Grail, then passed it to Ray. He nodded to her and walked quickly down the hall to the master bedroom. Standing outside the door was Peter and Winston. 

       “Think he’ll recognize us? I mean...we are pretty gray these days…” Winston said. 

       “Speak for yourself. I’m as handsome as ever,” Peter replied smugly. 

       “Are you sure we should do it like this? What if he’s…” Ray started, but Peter cut him off. 

       “He’s in there. Come on. There isn’t much time.”

       Ray looked back down the hall at Audrey. She was crying, but somehow happy at the same time. Behind her stood BB and Mina, while EJ sat at the dining room table alone. He turned back around when he heard Peter open the bedroom door. Inside the light was soft and inviting. Classical music played in the background, almost lost to the hiss an oxygen machine. Ray’s heart hurt when he saw the woman lying in bed. Time had caught up with their secretary, office manager, and dearest friend. She seemed so small propped up against giant pillows with hair as white as the linens. A tube ran under her nose to give her a constant stream of oxygen. Of course his other friends weren’t doing so well either. Peter needed a cane to walk and had trouble remembering things. Winston was a silver fox, but even he had trouble keeping his hands steady. Ray stopped counting his gray hairs and hoped he was still as handsome to Audrey as the day they met despite the wrinkles. 

       “Hey Red. We brought you an early Christmas present,” said Peter as he placed the box on a small table at the end of the bed. 

       “You mean Hanukkah,” she said faintly. “Christmas was for Walter.”

       “Either way, you’ve been a good girl and deserve a treat.”

       Carefully, as if the contents were glass, Peter opened the box and took out a battered Mark 2 ghost trap. There was a dent in the side and all of the stickers and paint had been worn off, but it was clearly one of theirs. Janine’s eyes widened. 

       “Is it…?”

       “We’re pretty sure. It was found in a fishing net by a boat off of Nova Scotia,” Ray said as he checked the cable and connections then put it on the floor. “Looks good.”

       “You ready pretty lady?” Winston asked.

       She nodded. They knew she was as anxious as they were. The guys all stood in front of the bed, blocking Janine’s view so she wouldn’t get the full brunt of the light. Peter stood over the foot pedal and triggered it with his cane. The trap was blinding. Even with their eyes covered it took a moment for their vision to return. When it did they saw the very person they were hoping for standing in the room with their back to them. 

       “Ah, good. It worked. Who else…”

       Egon turned to see who was with him and froze, too stunned to move. 

       “Hey big guy. Welcome back,” Peter said.

       “What...how…”

       “The traps got lost after Ecto fell in the river. I popped out first in 1998.”

       “Mine was recovered in ‘06,” Winston said.

       “2026 for me,” chimed in Ray. 

       “What year is it now?”

       “2055,” said a soft voice. 

       Egon swallowed hard as his friends parted to give him his first view of Janine. He stumbled a bit as he moved towards her, so intent on getting to her side that he didn’t see the trap on the floor. Ray caught him and helped him get his proton pack off. 

       “Take your time Iggy. We’ll be outside.”

       The guys each said a few words to Janine before leaving. Egon had a terrible sinking feeling that it was a true good-bye. Janine looked so fragile he was scared to touch her. When they were alone he sat carefully beside her on the edge of the bed. He didn’t know what to do. The last thing he recalled was thinking about her and hoping she found them quickly. Now...now she had lived her life...without him. 

       “Egon.”

       Her delicate hand reached out for him. He took it in both of his and tried to think of what to say.

       “I’m so sorry,” she said.

       “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

       “Yes Egon I do. I didn’t wait for you. I should have, but...I didn’t know if you were alive.”

       Egon shook his head and tried to smile at her. 

       “I would have been upset if you did wait. I wouldn’t expect you to put your life on hold for me,” He paused. “Were you happy?”

       In response she looked over at her nightstand where three large framed pictures sat. One was a family portrait, and another was the group shot that had hung in the Firehouse for decades. The last one Egon picked up. It was clearly a wedding photo. Janine and Walter were laughing as they held each other close, their youth and vibrance caught forever. 

       “You married Peck?”

       “Please don’t be angry. He was there when I needed him, even when I tried to push him away.”

       Egon was angry, but at himself. A bitter, jealous voice in his head told him that he should have thought of a better plan, one that didn’t carry such a risk. If he had then he would be the one holding Janine in the photo. 

       “It’s ok Janine,” he said, forcing himself to let it go. “I’m not angry. I just wish...I wish it had been me.”

       She nodded and was about to say something when she started to cough. It was a dry rattle that alarmed Egon. He spotted a glass of water by the bed and helped her drink a bit. 

       “Are you ok?”

       She just smiled sadly at him. 

       “I lived a good life Egon. Walter was a good man.”

       “Was?”

       “He passed away in his sleep a few years ago.”

       “I’m...I’m sorry.”

       “It’s alright. I just think about the good times. I have four children, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Can you believe it?”

       Egon replaced the wedding photo and picked up the one of Janine with her family. He felt a flair of jealousy when he saw Walter sitting in the middle of the group, happy and obviously loved. There were so many children, all of them with various shades of red hair…

       Janine knew the moment he spotted EJ because his hands tightened on the frame so hard she thought it would crack. She touched his knee to get his attention. 

“His name is Egon Joseph. I had him in September of 1988. I didn’t even know I was pregnant until April.”

       “I have a son?”

       “He’s brilliant, just like you. You’ll be so proud of him. He’s a good man and a good father.”

       Egon wasn’t the type of man to show emotion, much less cry, but never in his life did he want to break down and weep like he did right then. The woman he loved had his child and he missed all of it. Her life, his son’s life, it was all gone and there was nothing he could do. 

       “I found the box.”

       Her words snapped him back to reality. He knew exactly what she was talking about.

       “How?”

       “I was helping EJ clean out your lab at the Firehouse when I came across it crammed behind your first edition of Tobins. I still have the note...behind the picture…” 

       Her voice was raspy so he helped her take another sip of water before lifting the back of the frame that held him and the other Busters. Inside was a yellow lined piece of paper and a white one, both folded together. He recognized Peck’s handwriting on the white one, so he set it aside and looked at the yellow one. His spidery handwriting only covered half of the page, but it said so much...at least to him…He felt her hand on his and looked up, surprised to see that she was wearing the ring he was going to give her. It was on her right hand instead of her left, but it still made his heart thump. The silver band was a little too big now, but the diamond in the middle still shone as brightly as the day he bought it for her.

       “I love you Egon. I loved you from the first moment I saw you. Having your child gave me hope. It made me want to live.”

       He put the photo down and took her hand again. 

       “I love you too Janine. I wish I had said it sooner.”

       “I always knew how you felt. You never had to say it.”

       Egon gently leaned over and placed a sweet, careful kiss on her lips. Even though she was far older, she still smelled and felt exactly as he remembered. Just her presence was a comfort to him. He sat back down, a little closer than before. 

       “Will you do me a favor?”

       “Of course.”

       She easily slipped the ring off of her thin finger and held it out to him. 

       “Make sure EJ gets the ring? His son Arthur has a sweet girl. She deserves a pretty ring.”

       He nodded and took the ring from her, unable to speak for a moment. Eventually he cleared his throat roughly and said, 

       “Tell me about your children.”

       “Oh, that would take hours…” Janine said, her eyes sparkling as they held hands.

       “I have time,” he said and settled in so he could memorize every moment and word. 

 

       “...their baby is so beautiful. She has heterochromia too, just like Ray, and the loveliest curly red hair just like Audrey.”

       Janine’s voice and strength was fading. Egon felt guilty to keep her talking for so long, but he wanted to know as much as he could about her life. 

       “I love you Janine.”

       She chuckled softly and gave his hand a weak squeeze. 

       “You’ve said that more to me tonight than you have my entire life.”

       “I was under the impression it wasn’t something that could be overstated,” he said with a wry grin. 

       “Very true.”

       Her eyelids fluttered a bit and her head drooped. 

       “I’m so happy you're back, but I can’t seem to stay awake anymore…”

       “It’s my fault. Go to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

       She was so tired she didn’t respond, instead she gave him another smile and closed her eyes. A few moments later the oxygen machine on the other side of the bed made an odd beeping noise. Egon was about to get up and check it when a sick realization came to him. Trembling, he lifted Janine’s cooling hand to his lips and kissed it one last time. Then, finally, he let himself cry as he held her hand to his cheek. 

 

       Ray was sitting on the sofa with Audrey dozing on his shoulder. He quietly urged her awake when he heard the bedroom door open and close. Before they could get up Egon walked into the living room. His face was ashen and his eyes were blank. Ray stood and walked over to his best friend. 

       “I know you aren’t a fan of physical affection but…”

       Egon cut him off by grabbing him in a big bear hug. Ray hugged back as hard as he could. He could feel Egon’s body shake a bit, but the man got himself under control before letting go. When Ray looked at Egon again he was back to his old self - cool, clinical, and sedate. 

       “I’m so sorry Iggy. I really am.”

       “It will be alright,” he said, then turned to Audrey who was waiting awkwardly behind Ray. “Mrs. Stantz, I regret to tell you but…”

       “She’s gone.”

       If Egon was surprised that she knew he didn’t show it. Audrey gave him a sad smile. 

       “We’ve known her time was coming for a while. When we heard your trap was found BB and EJ moved heaven and earth to get it here in time. I think...I honestly think she was holding on for you.”

       Audrey teared up a bit and turned to Ray to bury her face in his shoulder. He held her while he spoke to Egon. 

       “The others left a little bit ago. Audrey and I have lots of room at our place if you want to stay with us for a while.”

       “Thank you but truthfully I’m not sure what I want to do right now.” 

       “Yeah, I get that. There’s a few units here that are furnished if you’d rather stay there, but...Iggy I don’t think you should be alone. A lot has changed…”

       Egon nodded and looked around the room. Pictures of family and friends filled the walls while plants sat in every corner and on almost every shelf. It was so very Janine his heart twisted. Movement in the dining room caught his attention and his heart ached for another reason. 

       “Excuse me.”

       Ray turned his attention to his wife as Egon walked to the dining room. EJ glanced up at him, but didn’t react while Egon sat on the other side of the table from him. He just kept fiddling with a can of Pepsi on the table. It was unnerving because it was like looking in the mirror but seeing yourself more than 30 years older. EJ was truly a spitting image of him...almost. He had his mother’s eyes. They were kind and soulful, but so very sad. Egon tried to think of what to say, but EJ beat him to it. 

       “Mom never spoke of you in past tense.”

       “Pardon?”

       “Whenever she told me stories about you it was always present tense, as if you were just away on vacation and would return any day. She never gave up hope that we’d find you.”

       Egon wasn’t quite sure what to say to that, so instead he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring Janine gave him. He held it between his thumb and index finger, moving it slightly so the diamond caught the light. It looked so tiny in his hand compared to how big it was on her finger. 

       “I was going to propose to her, but the time never seemed right. We were always busy, always had something else that demanded my attention,” he said as he watched it sparkle. “I thought we had plenty of time.”

       “I remember when she found it,” EJ said, his voice distant. “I came into the lab and she was sitting on that ratty sofa crying. I almost left because it’s hard for me to deal with emotional people, but it was mom...so…” He paused and took a sip of his soda. “She held the note out to me. While I was reading it she put the ring on and told me that I couldn’t tell Dad or my sibs because they wouldn’t understand but I did. Mom and I always shared a connection that the others didn’t. I don’t know if it was because I was her first, or because I was yours. It wasn’t that she treated me special or loved me more...we just...I don’t know…”

       “Clicked,” Egon said. 

       “Yeah. She’d call me right after something important literally just happened, or I’d know when she needed my help. The others said it was just the Melnitz Touch coming through, but I disagree. Not that it really matters anymore…”

       Egon held out the ring to EJ. He stared at it for a moment, then took it from his father. 

       “She wanted you to have it, well, specifically Arthur.”

       EJ grinned, his eyes crinkling. 

       “Artie was a late bloomer. I didn’t think he was ever going to find someone. He met Megan when he was getting his second doctorate and they hit it off right away. You’ll like him. You’ll like all the kids really. Genius is genetic.”

       Egon adjusted his glasses and was about to make a argument that intelligence wasn’t an inheritable trait when EJ started laughing. 

       “Damn, I really am your son. It’s like looking in a mirror. You know, I’m a Twinkie addict because of you.”

       His father paused, studied EJ for a moment, then laughed. It was a real, honest, attention getting laugh. Ray and Audrey peeked into the dining room to make sure Egon hadn’t slipped into hysteria. 

       “That reminds me of this one time I was out at the fair with your mother. She found this place that made deep fried Twinkies topped with whipped cream and sprinkles. I ate so many I thought I was going to be sick, but then she forced me to go on one of those rides where you flip upside down…”

 

       They talked for the rest of the night and into the morning. When dawn came Egon went with EJ to his brownstone home a few blocks away. His wife, Astrid, welcomed them with open arms and a big plate of Twinkie pancakes. As he sat at the table eating, surrounded by chattering children, adults, and a few dogs, Egon couldn’t help but feel like this was where he was meant to be. He was accepted immediately with no hesitation and in every face he saw shades of Janine. They were bright and vibrant, but most of all, happy. It was the polar opposite from his own childhood. Egon would love Janine till his dying day for so many reasons, but most of all because she gave him something he never had before. Family. 

 

In Remembrance

Anyone who called the Ghostbusters in their first 30 years would most likely have talked to Janine Melnitz-Peck. The native Brooklynite joined their staff when it was just the three founders, and kept the business going after the team disappeared in 1988. Through the years the faces have changed, but Janine remained as the soul of the Ghostbusters. Much of the brand’s expansion is a direct result of her management skills and forward thinking. Her children have all gone one to have important roles in the business, from head engineer to lead researcher. Her talent, attitude, and voice will be missed. 

Janine was preceded by her husband of 62 years, Walter Peck, and leaves behind four children, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. 

(New York Times - 12/01/2055)

  
  


May 19th, 1990

_        The first time you met me you didn’t have an opinion of me. I was just some guy there to harass to your boss. The second time you saw me you hated my guts. The third time you would have punched me if Winston hadn’t held you back. What I wouldn’t have admitted until recently is that I deserved it. What I don’t deserve is someone as loving, kind, and passionate as you. Janine, I know the exact second I fell in love with you, and my heart hasn’t been the same since. Being with you and helping you raise your wonderful son has given me the chance to be more than just a man. You’ve made me a husband and a father. I promise to love you, honor you, and cherish our relationship today, tomorrow, and for the rest of our lives.  _

  
  


October 1987

_ Janine, _

_        We both know that I am unable to express myself well in words, however I hope that my feelings for you are clear by my actions. Being dependent on others for emotional fulfillment and support has never been something I wanted. School was an escape for me and I was content with living my life for science. Then I met you. Your fire, spirit, mind, and beauty made everything I was before meaningless because life has no meaning without you. You stood by me when the world was coming apart, so I want to stand by you for the rest of our lives. I know this isn’t a traditional proposal, but as you’re quick to point out, I’m not a traditional man. I only know that my life wouldn’t be worth living without you at my side. _

_ Always, _

_ Egon _

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for joining me on this journey. It started as a random idea from fellow writers and turned into a quest I couldn't turn away from. I'd like to give special love to TheMusicalCC, CaptainMaximumStorm48, WickedMusic96, LillyRose, Wanda, Jane, and Jamie for all the encouragement they've given me. I couldn't have done it without all of you.
> 
> I welcome any and all comments, criticisms, and questions. See you next time!


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